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BORUAY 1 CO.,N.Y< 



STORIES OF THE STATES 

MAKERS 

OF 

ARKANSAS HISTORY 



BY 

JOHN HUGH REYNOLDS, A. M. 

PIJOFESSOR OF HISTORY IN THE rXIVEUSITY OF ARKANSAS 
AND SECRETARY OF THE ARKANSAS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS 




SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 

NEW YORK ATLANTA BOSTON DALLAS CHICAGO 



r^ 



"2- 



r. A, '- 



{wo Dopies !<«wji»wi 

OCT. 8 J^S 

, * 




COPYETGHT, 1905, BY 

SILVER, BURDETT AND COMPANY 



PREFACE. 

The author wishes to see the children of Ar- 
kansas as familiar with the leading men of their 
own State as they are with the great men of the 
Nation. In presenting this little book to the pub- 
lic, he does so in the hope that it may contribute 
something toward this end. 

The book follows largely the biographical plan, 
grouping the facts of each phase of our history 
about some character eminent in its development. 
This method, compared with the chronological 
method, has the advantage not only of being more 
vivid, but of stimulating in boys and girls an am- 
bition to excel and a legitimate state pride. The 
latter cannot be too much emphasized. It takes 
form not only in a broad patriotism, but also in 
the study of local history and in the erection of 
appropriate memorials and monuments. It is 
hoped that these chapters may tend to increase in 
Arkansas this civic spirit. Several distinguished 
names have been omitted, because the author was 
compelled at times to choose between two or more 
men who were types of the same phase of the 
State's history. 

The book is designed for use either as a text- 
book or as a supplementary reader. The ques- 



4 PREFACE. 

tions at the end of each chapter not only review 
the chapter, but also suggest thought and investi- 
gation on the part of the pupil. Many of the 
stories may serve as a basis for exercises in re- 
production. The style is such that the book may 
be used in the fourth or fifth grade, perhaps even 
in the third, so that children who leave school 
early may have a knowledge of those facts in our 
State's history which it is a discredit for any 
citizen not to know. 

The map on page 17 is used by courtesy of 
the N. D. Thompson Publishing Company, and 
that on page 59 is from Hempstead's School His- 
tory of Arkansas, by permission of the University 
Publishing Company. 

Miss Lina X. Eeed of Fayetteville, an experi- 
enced teacher, gave the manuscript a careful and 
critical reading. 

The library of every teacher, as well as of every 
school, should have some or all of the following 
books on Arkansas history: Hempstead's School 
History of Arkansas, University Publishing Co., 
New Orleans; Shinn's School History of Arkan- 
sas, B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond; 
Hallum's Biographical History of Arkansas, Fred 
W. Allsopp, Little Rock; Hempstead's Pictorial 
History of Arkansas, N. D. Thompson Publishing 
Co., St. Louis; Pope's Early Days in Arkansas, 
Fred W. Allsopp, Little Rock. 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER PAOH 

I. Hernando de Soto . . . .11 
II. Father Marquette . . . .21 

III. Henri de Tonti, the Father of Ar- 

kansas . . . . . .29 

IV. The Great Purchase . . .38 
v. Frederick Notrebe, a Type op the Old 

French Settler . . . .49 

VI. The First Arkansan . . .55 

* 

VII. The Pioneer Boatman . . .64 

VIII. Frontier Life . . . . .73 

IX. Robert Crittenden, Arkansas' First 

Great Statesman . . . .80 

X. James Miller, Arkansas' First Gov- 
ernor ...... 89 

XI. Benjamin Johnson, Arkansas' First 

Great Jurist . . . .96 

XII. INIen With Chips on Their Shoulders 105 

XIII. AViLLiAM E. Woodruff, Arkansas' 

First Editor • . • .112 

XIV. John Pope I'-^l 

XV. Ambrose IL Sevier . . . .128 

XVI. David Walker 138 



CONTENTS. 



CIIArTER 




PAGE 


XVII. 


Arkansas Schools 


.144 


XVIII. 


The Pioneer Preacher 


. 153 


XIX. 


Wild-Cat Banking in Arkansas 


. 161 


XX. 


The Conway Family 


. 167 


XXI. 


The Old Plantation System 


. 177 


XXII. 


The Regulators 


. 184 


XXIII. 


Elias Rector 


. 192 


XXIV. 


Albert Pike 


. 198 


XXV. 


Archibald Yell 


. 205 


XXVI. 


Chester Ashley 


. 213 


XXVII. 


Robert Ward Johnson 


. 220 


XXVIII. 


Arkansans to Arms 


. 229 


XXIX. 


Distinguished Arkansas Soldiers . 237 


XXX. 


Patrick Cleburne, the "Stonewall 




Jackson of the West" 


. 244 


XXXI. 


The "Carpet-Bagger" 


. 252 


XXXII. 


Elisha Baxter 


. 260 


XXXIII. 


Augustus H. Garland 


. 268 


XXXIV. 


The Arkansas Traveler . 


. 276 



ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. 



PAGE 

Map of Arkansas {col- 

ored) . . . Frontispiece 
The Capitol at Little Rock 10 
Hernando de Soto . . 12 
Lands Which Columbus 

Had Discovered ... 13 
The Long March of de 

Soto (Map) .... 14 
De Soto Discovers the 

Mississippi .... 15 
Indians at the Hot 

Springs to Be Healed . 16 
De Soto's Route Through 

Arkansas (Map) . . 17 
Lowering de Soto's Body 

into the River ... 19 
Making a Home in the 

New World .... 22 
Indian Peace-Pipe ... 24 
Marquette Entertained by 

the Arkansas Indians . 25 
Marquette's Grave . . 26 
Robert Cavelier de La 

Salle 30 

The French Forts from 
the Great Lakes to the 
Gulf of Mexico (Map) 31 

Louis XIV 33 

Arkansas Post ... 34 
Bienville, Governor of 

Louisiana 35 

French Fleet on the Lou- 
isiana Coast .... 39 
Napoleon Bonaparte . . 40 
Thomas Jefferson (Por- 
trait and Autograph) . 42 



PAGE 

Robert R. Livingston 
(Portrait and Auto- 
graph) 43 

James Monroe (Portrait 
and Autograph) . . 44 

Map Showing Growth of 
the United States West 
of the Mississippi . . 45 

Arkansas Timber Exhibit 
at the Louisiana Pur- 
chase Exposition . . 47 

Along the Stream of the 
Arkansas 50 

Dress of Frederick No- 
trebe's Day .... 51 

French Traders Nearing 
an Indian Village . . 53 

Indian Spying before the 
Attack 56 

Indian Pottery .... 57 

Map of Arkansas Showing 
Indian Land Cessions . 59 

Saracen Rescuing the 
Stolen Children ... 61 

Fulton's Steamboat, "The 
Clermont" .... 65 

Pioneers Traveling by 
Flatboat 66 

Cordelling a Steamer Up- 
stream 67 

Poling a Raft on the Mis- 
sissippi 69 

The Landing at Van 
Buren 71 

An Old-Time Plow . . 74 

Ox-Wagons of the South- 
west 76 



8 



ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. 



PAGE 

Mr. Rorer Carrying Home 
the Ox-Yoke .... 77 

Robert Crittenden . . 81 

A Pioneer Mail-Carrier 
Crossing the Plain . . 83 

Big Rock and Fort Roots 85 

Arkansas in 1828 {Map) 86 

James Miller .... 90 

A Pioneer Village in a 
Clearing 91 

Pioneers Pushing on to 
the West 93 

Benjamin Johnson . . 97 

A Fort of Kentucky Pio- 
neers 98 

The "Baptist Meeting- 
House" at Little Rock 101 

Judge Johnson's Home at 
Little Rock . . . .103 

End of a Duel in the 
Early Days of the Ter- 
ritory 105 

The Quarrel at the Card 
Table 107 

William Woodruff Enter- 
ing Arkansas . . . 113 

Headlines of the First 
Issue of the "Arkansas 
Gazette" 116 

William E. Woodruff, 
Founder of the "Ar- 
kansas Gazette" . . 117 

A Modern Linotype Ma- 
chine for Type-setting 118 

The College of William 
and Mary, Williams- 
burg, Va 122 

The Henderliter Place: 
Scene of Meeting of 
Last Territorial Legis- 
lature 123 

Arkansas' First State 
House 126 

Indians Plundering Cattle 
on a Frontier Planta- 
tion 129 



PAGB 

Ambrose H. Sevier . . 130 
The National Capital, as 
It Looked When Mr. 
Sevier Was Congress- 
man 132 

A Session of the National 
House of Representa- 
tives, When Mr. Sevier 
Was Member from Ar- 
kansas 134 

Monument to Ambrose 

H. Sevier . . . .136 
David Walker .... 140 
Witness Addressing the 

Jury out of Court . . 141 
An Old Log Schoolhouse . 145 
An Up-to-Date School- 
house 147 

Peabody High School at 

Little Rock . . . .149 
The University of Arkan- 
sas at Fayetteville . . 150 
Old Salem Camp Ground, 

Saline County . . . 156 
Reverend J. W. Moore . 157 
Doctor Andrew Hunter . 159 
The Stamp for Impress- 
ing the State Seal . . 162 
Old State Bank Building 

at Little Rock . . .163 
Warrant, or Note, Issued 
by Arkansas during the 

War 165 

Henry W. Conway . . 169 
James S. Conway . . . 170 
Elias N. Conway . . . 171 
Mending a Crevasse in 
the Levee of the Missis- 
sippi 173 

An Early Railroad Train 174 
Cotton Pickers before the 

War 178 

An Overseer's House on 
an Old Plantation . . 179 



ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. 



PAGE 

Planter's House on the 
Mississippi before the 

War 180 

Cotton Ready for Market: 
A Scene of the Old 

South 182 

Apple Orchard Where 
Once Herds of Buffalo 

Grazed 185 

A Forest of Primeval 

Pines 187 

A Band of Regulators and 

Their Captive , . .189 
Elias Rector . . . .192 
Travel by Stagecoach . 193 
A Seminole Chief . . . 195 
Albert Pike .... 199 
Albert Pike's Residence 

at Little Rock . . .201 
Albert Pike Consistory at 

Little Rock . . . .203 
The Battle of New Or- 
leans 206 

Archibald Yell . . . .208 
Map of the Mexican War. 209 
With General Taylor at 

Buena Vista .... 210 
Campus of Williams Col- 
lege at Williamstown, 

Mass. 214 

The Old Ashley Mansion 

at Little Rock . . .215 
Coat of Arms of the Ash- 
ley Family .... 216 
Chester Ashley . . .218 
Robert W. Johnson . . 221 
The United States in 1850 

(Map) 223 

Abraham Lincoln . . . 224 
Jefferson Davis . . .225 
Tomb of R. W. Johnson 

at Little Rock . . .226 
Flag of the Confederacy . 229 
Flag of the Union . . 230 



A Confederate Soldier 

A Union Soldier . 

Confederate Money 

Sterling Price . 

Earl Van Dorn 

A Confederate Cavalry 

Camp .... 
Thomas C. Hindman 
Thomas J. Churchill 
Patrick Cleburne . 
Map Showing Battle 

grounds of the West . 
Chattanooga and Vicinity 

(Map) . . . 
Cleburne's Defense of 

Ringgold Gap . 
A Deserted Plantation 

after the War . 
President Johnson 
Isaac Murphy, Union Gov 

ernor of Arkansas 
Powell Clayton 
Ghostly Punishment 

the Ku Klux Klans 
Elisha Baxter . 
Joseph Brooks . 
"Lady Baxter" 
Augustus H. Garland 
V/ashington County Court- 

House at Fayetteville 
President Cleveland . 
Cypress Swamp in Chicot 

County 

A Modern Farmhouse 
Irrigated Rice Farm at 

Lonoke 

View of Hot Springs . 
Government Lock and 

Dam at Batesville . 
Saw Mill at Danville 
School for the Blind at 

Little Rock . . . . 
Institution for Deaf 

Mutes at Little Rock . 



by 



PAGE 

231 

.232 

233 

238 

9r!R 



239 
240 
241 
245 

246 

247 

249 

253 
254 

256 

258 

261 
262 
264 
265 
269 

271 
273 

276 

277 

279 
280 

281 
282 

283 

284 




t4 

a 

o 



H 
H 



H 
*^ 

O 

H 

i—t 

U 



CHAPTER I. 

HERNANDO DE SOTO. 

1496-1542. 

The discovery of the New World by Columbus opened 
np a wide field for adventure. To the people of the Old 
World, America became a fairy land of fabulous wealth. 
Stories were told of rich mines of silver and gold, of 
jewels and precious stones, and of a wonderful fountain 
whose waters could give youth to old age. 

The opportunity for gaining wealth or for winning 
fame fired the soul of many a youth in the Old World. 
Men of broken fortunes or of lost reputation came flock- 
ing to America ; but many of these fortune-seekers were 
sorely disappointed. However, \yhile they failed in ob- 
taining wealth, they did a much better thing: they ex- 
plored the land and made known its marvelous re- 
sources. 

These Europeans first made settlements along the coast 
of the Atlantic Ocean, and from there they spread to the 



12 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



interior Of tlie country. This is why Arkansas was not 
settled until lono^ after colonies were established in Vir- 
ginia and the Carolinas. 

The first white man to touch Arkansas soil was one of 
these adventurous fortune-seekers from the Old World 
— the brave and chivalrous Hernando de Soto (her-nan'- 

do de so'-to). In Eu- 
rope the people were 
divided into two 
classes. The laborers, 
the farmers, and the 
merchants composed 
the lower class and 
were called common 
people ; the officials, 
the clergy, and the 
landlords composed 
the upper class and 
were called nobles. 
Though a poor boy, 
HERNANDO DE SOTO. (jc Soto belonged to 

the nobility. He obtained a good education at one of the 
universities of Spain ; and when a young man, he joined 
an expedition into Peru, where he gained both fame and 
fortune. lie explored the coasts of Central America 
and, with a small band of Spaniards, commanded by 
Pizarro (pi-za'-ro), went to the heart of the empire of 




HERNANDO DE SOTO. 13 

the Incas (ing'-kaz), seized the capital, and captured 
the governor. Then he returned to Spain. But the 
stories of the gold and the fountain of youth in Florida 
made him restless and eager to explore this new land. 
So he fitted out his own expedition. The king of Spain 
gave him the title of Governor of Cuba and Florida. 
He sailed first to Cuba, the island whir^h Columbus had 




LANDS WHICH COLUMBUS HAD DISCOVERED. 
{Marked in white on the map.) 

discovered, and on which already seven towns had been 
built. 

Though rich and full of honors, de Soto was still young 
and ambitious. He rebuilt and fortified Havana, which 
had been burned by pirates, and then started for 
Florida. Many had been eager to join this famous 
leader. So when he set out, it was with a band of six 
hundred brave companions. In the spring of 1539, he 
landed at Tampa Bay on the western coast of Florida. 
He spent two years wandering over the territory now oc- 



14 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



ciipied by Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. 
In May, 1541, he came to a river so broad and so full that 
he called it, in Spanish, the Rio Grande (re'-6 gran'-da) ; 
that is, the great river. The natives called it Meschacebe 
(mes'-cha-ce'-be), father of ivaters, which we write Missis- 
sippi. On the shore of this river, de Soto built rude bar- 
ges and crossed to 
the Arkansas side, 
near the mouth 
of the White River. 
The next year, 
the last year of his 
life, the great cap- 
tain spent in trav- 
eling over what is 
now Arkansas. 
This territory was 
then a vast wilder- 




THE LONG MARCH OP DE SOTO. 



ness, inhabited by wild animals and equally wild savages. 
De Soto went up the Mississippi beyond the mouth of the 
St. Francis River, passing on the way some Indian vil- 
lages. For the most part, the red men treated him 
kindly ; but he, like most men of his time, was cruel. He 
looked upon the Indians as he did upon beasts of burden ; 
captured them when he could, reduced them to slavery, 
and compelled them to carry his baggage. Such treat- 
ment was a great humiliation to the proud Indian war- 



HERNANDO DE SOTO. 



15 



riors, and in revonp:e tliey often inflicted severe suffering 
upon the Spaniards. 

Some of these simple-minded people, it is said, thou<j:ht 
de Soto a divine being and brought him two blind men 
to be healed. But as he wished them to know the true 
God, he erected a cross, told them the story of Christ, 
and directed them to worship Him. 

Leaving the St. Francis country, de Soto journeyed 
southwest until he came to the Arkansas River. Tradi- 




DE SOTO DISCOVERS THE MISSISSIPPI. 



tion tells us that he was defeated in a great battle with 
the natives near where Jacksonport now stands, and that 
he was compelled to turn north. At any rate, he learned 



16 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



here that mountains lay to the northwest. As gold 
was one of the great objects of his travels, he turned his 
steps toward what is now northwest Arkansas, hoping 
to find the precious metal there. For many days he 
traveled over swamps, through dense forests matted with 
vines, and across mountain streams. 

Disappointed in not finding gold, he turned south, 
passed over the Boston Mountains, crossed the Arkansas 
River near Dardanelle (dar'-da-neF) Rock, and came 
into the land of the Cayas (ca-yas). Here, we are told, 




INDIANS AT THE HOT SPRINGS, TO BE HEALED. 



de Soto fell seriously ill, and a friendly Indian chief 
brought him to a "lake of very hot water," where he was 
healed. At last, as he thought, he had found the won- 



HERNANDO DE SOTO. 



17 



flerful fountain. This lake was doubtless the now fa- 
mous Hot Sprinojs. 

In the Ouachita (wash'-i-ta') River, near the sprinofs, 
de Soto and his companions found salt. This the 
Indians along- the stream sold to their neighbors. It 
was mixed with sand in the bed of the river, but the 
savages had devised a 
simple method for 
separating it from the 
sand. They gathered 
it up, sand and all, 
and threw it into 
baskets; under these, 
they placed vessels 
and then poured wa- 
ter into the baskets. 
The water filtered 
through the sand, 
carrying the salt with 
it into the vessels be- 
low. Then the vessels 
were put upon a fire, 
and the water evapor- 
ated, leaving the salt. 

The winter of 1541, de Soto spent in an Indian village 
on the Ouachita River. It was a severe winter; and his 
band, already reduced in numbers, suffered greatly. 




DE SOTO'S ROUTE THROUGH 
ARKANSAS. 



18 MAKERS OF ARKxVNSAS HISTORY. 

Here it was that de Soto lost his faithful interpreter, 
Juan Ortiz (hoo-an' or-teth'). When de Soto first ar- 
rived in Florida, he could not speak the Indian language, 
nor could the savages understand Spanish. Hence he 
needed an interpreter. Ortiz was a Spaniard who had 
come to Florida long before de Soto. He had joined a 
tribe of Indians, had adopted their dress and mode of 
living, and had learned to speak their language. So 
de Soto engaged him as his interpreter. Now that Ortiz 
was dead, de Soto had much trouble in dealing with the 
Indians. 

Up to this time de Soto had found no gold ; so, dis- 
heartened, in the spring he resumed his journey south. 
He followed the Ouachita to the Red River and then 
went down this stream to the Mississippi. On this jour- 
ney he was greatly exposed and for days had to wade 
through swamps and swollen streams. These hardships 
brought on a. fever, from which he died. 

De Soto's followers were now without a leader. They 
knew that the Indians thought de Soto immortal. If 
they should learn of his death, they w^ould lose their 
fear of the Spaniards and destroy them. So, secretly, 
at night, de Soto's companions prepared to bury him. 
On the shore of the Mississippi, they wrapped the body 
of their captain in a mantle, weighted it down with sand, 
and placed it in a boat. Very quietly the}^ rowed out 
into the middle of the stream; and tiere, in the dark 



HERNANDO DE SOTO. 



19 



and the silence of midnight, they lowered the body of 
Spain's great explorer into the waters of the river he 
had discovered. 

De Soto's death completely demoralized his followers, 




LOWEiiKNL; L»E AUTO'S BODY INTO THE UiVEii. 

and they at once determined to seek the Spanish settle- 
ments in Mexico. So they made some rude vessels, in 
which they passed down the Mississippi and finally 
reached Mexico — a small remnant of the proud company 
that had landed at Tampa Bay. 



Test Questions. 

What led to the discovery and settlement of America? What 
part of our country was first explored and settled? In what 
direction did most of the explorers travel? Who first explored 
Arkansas? From what country did he come? What do you 
know of his life before he came to North America? What is 
meant by "the empire of the Incas"? To what part of North 



20 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

America did de Soto first come? Why? In what year? Trace 
his travels for the next three years. In what century was 
this? What would have been de Soto's description of the 
region we call Arkansas? Of his travels through Arkansas? 
What is meant by "the land of the Cayas"? Where and how 
did the Indians get their salt? How did de Soto treat the 
Indians? What did they think about him? How did he talk 
with the Indians? What brought the expedition to an end? 
How did this occur? Where is de Soto's grave? What became 
of his followers? Of what use to the world was de Soto's ex- 
pedition? 



Map Questions. 

Map showing Lands Discovered hy Columhus, p. 13, and Map 
of Western Hemisphere. — Locate Spain, Peru, Central America, 
Mexico, Cuba. Map shoiving Route of de Soto, p. 14, and Map of 
United States. — Locate Tampa Bay. Trace de Soto's journey 
overland. What states now occupy this region? Map showing 
de Soto's Travels in Arkansas; p. 17. — Trace the White River, 
the Red River, the St. Francis, the Arkansas, the Ouachita, the 
Mississippi. Locate Jacksonport, the Boston Mountains, Dar- 
danelle Rock, the land of the Cayas, the Hot Springs. 



CHAPTER 11. 

FATHER MARQUETTE. 

1637-1675. 

It was one hundred and thirty years after de Soto's 
death before another white man touched the soil of 
Arkansas. And yet the nations of Europe had not been 
idle. Each was strug'gling to get possession of as much 
of the New World as possible. But America is so large 
that it took centuries to colonize it. 

Spain had weak settlements in Florida and Mexico; 
but the Spaniards spent too much time in hunting gold 
and silver to succeed in colonizing. They did not like 
the hard work of opening fields, cultivating the soil, and 
building towns. The English were more successful, be- 
cause they had come to make the West their home and 
therefore could not afford to waste their time in gold 
hunting. They had established flourishing colonies 
along the Atlantic coast. Both Spain and England 
founded their colonies close to the sea. France too wished 
to own land in America, and she had already occupied 
Canada with fur-trading stations and missionary out- 
posts. The fur-trader had come to make his fortune; 



22 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



the soldier, to extend the empire of his king; and the 
Jesuit missionary to plant the cross of Christ. 

Spain had profited little by the explorations of de 
Soto. Through her negligence the Mississippi valley had 
remained unsettled for nearly a century and a half. 
She had gone to sleep, as it were, believing the land to 
be hers by right of discovery, and suddenly awoke to 




MAKING A HOME IN THE NEW WORLD. 

find France occupying the fertile valley. Then she 
struggled desperately to regain it, but all in vain. After 
securing the land bordering on the St. Lawrence River, 
France had seen the value of the Mississippi valley and 
had at once added that to her possessions. 

Although several accounts of the travels of de Soto 
and his companions had been published, the French in 



FATHER MARQUETTE. 23 

Canada, over one hundred years later, did not know 
whether the INIississippi empties into the Atlantic Ocean, 
the Gulf of Mexico, or the Pacific Ocean. The natives, 
however, had told the French of a mighty river to the 
west. But who would face the dangers of exploring it? 
None but the Christian missionary — a man quite differ- 
ent from the discoverer and explorer studied in the pre- 
ceding chapter. The Christian missionary came to the 
New World neither for riches nor for glory, but to carry 
the gospel of peace to the red man in the western wilds. 
He left friends and a comfortable home in a civilized 
country and went among savages, preaching the Chris- 
tian religion. Among the French missionaries. Father 
IMarquette (mar-kef) was a prominent figure. He had 
been preaching to the savages around the Great Lakes, 
when he decided to find the mouth of the Mississippi 
River. He asked a fur-trader, named Joliet (zh5-lya'), 
to go with him, and five Indians to paddle their canoes. 

Over the Great Lakes they went and down whatever 
streams would bear them toward the Mississippi. But 
through the woods between the streams, they had to carry 
their canoes. At last they came to the great river, and 
in these same frail barks they floated down. On the 
way, some friendly Indians gave them a present — a calu- 
met, the pipe of peace. 

Now, everywhere among the Indians this pipe was the 
symbol of peace ; and when held up it would change ene- 



24 



MAKERS OF ARKxVNSAS HISTORY. 



mies into friends. Later on perhaps 
this simple present saved Marquette's 
life. The Indians who gave it to him 
advised him to go no farther down the 
river, because, as they said, below was 
a great demon which would devour 
him. He would roar so loud that he 
could be heard miles away. However, 
Marquette continued his journey. 

If you should go down the ]\Iissis- 
sippi today, on a steamer, you would 
see farms, mills, factories, and cities 
all along the banks. But Marquette 
spent many weary days in his canoe, 
on the silent river, seeing in 
the vast wilderness nothing 
but forests and stealthy wild 
animals, herds of buffalo, 
and roving bands of savages. 
As the party approached 
the mouth of the Arkansas 
River, they saw wigwams on 
the west bank. Suddenly, 
out of the wigwams the In- 
dians came rushing, giving 
their war-whoop. They had 
INDIAN PEACE-PIPE. cauglit sight of the pale- 




FATHER MARQI^ETTE. 



25 



faces, as they called the white men. They ran down to 
the river, jumped into their canoes, and in a moment had 
surrounded Marquette and Joliet. At this juncture 
IMarquette thought of his peace-pipe. He seized it and 




MARQUETTE ENTERTAINED BY THE ARKANSAS INDIANS. 

held it up, and in an instant a great change came over 
the savages. They threw down their tomahawks and 
invited the Frenchmen to come ashore, where they gave 



26 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



them a hearty welcome to their wigwams. The tired 
travelers received with delight the hospitality of the 
Indians, who feasted them on mush and fish and gave 
them lodging for the night. 

The next day they went on to the mouth of the Arkan- 
sas. Here they found a village of Arkansas Indians, by 
whom they were royally entertained. The warriors and 
the old men, seated in a semicircle, received them in the 
most approved Indian fashion. The men were scantily 

clad, but their bodies 
were profusely deco- 
rated with beads and 
paints ; the women 
were indifferently 
dressed in skins. 
Mush, boiled corn, 
and roasted dog made 
up the bill of fare 
with which they re- 
galed their guests. 

From these In- 
dians, Marquette 
learned that the Mis- 
sissippi empties into 




MARQUETTE'S GRAVE AT ST. IGNACE, 
MICHIGAN. 



the Gulf of Mexico. They advised him to go no 
farther, as .the country below was inhabited by hos- 
tile tribes, through fear of whom they themselves 



FATHER MARQUETTE. 27 

would not hunt the buffalo. There was no need of his 
taking further risks ; for he had accomplished the object 
of his trip — he had learned into what body of water the 
Mississippi empties. So, after preaching to these simple 
people, he returned to Canada. About ten years later, 
while engaged in missionary work near Lake Michigan, 
he died. 

Father Marquette was a man of strong will and 
gentle heart, beloved by all who knew him. So hon- 
ored was he by the Indians that they were more friendly 
to the French settlers who followed in his footsteps 
down the IMississippi valley. By his bravery and 
perseverance he had opened a way for his countrymen 
into the new land, and by his labors of love he had won 
for them a welcome there. 



Test Questions. 

How long was it after de Soto before another white man saw 
Arkansas? Why? Where had the Spaniards made settle- 
ments? the English? the French? How successful was each 
in colonizing, and why? Which gained control of the Miss- 
issippi valley? How? 

Who was Marquette? Tell the story of his journey, its ob- 
jects and results. Why is he called "father"? What is the 
calumet? What was the difference between Marquette and de 
Soto in their treatment of the Indians? How did the Indians 
treat Marquette? Why did he not go farther south? What 
was accomplished by the French missionaries in America? 



28 MAKERS OF ARKANSxVS HISTORY. 

Map Questions. 

Map of the United States.— Where is the Gulf of Mexico? 
Lake Michigan? the valley of the Mississippi? the mouth of 
the Arkansas River? On going by water from the source of 
the Mississippi River to its mouth, what rivers would you pass? 
Map of Canada. — Trace the St. Lawrence River. 



1 



CHAPTER III. 
HENRI DE TONTI. 

The Father of Arkansas. 
1650-1704. 

While Marquette was exploring the Mississippi, the 
young man who was to become the father of Arkansas 
was winning his spurs in the French army. He was an 
Italian by birth and a Frenchman by adoption. In the 
service of France, he had lost one hand and in its place 
wore a hand of iron. He was honest, brave, and chival- 
rous. These noble qualities gained for him the friend- 
ship of a powerful prince, who recommended him to 
La Salle (la sal') as a suitable young man to aid him in 
his ambitious enterprises in the New World. This youth 
was Henri de Tonti (on-re' de ton'-te)— "de Tonti of the 
iron hand." 

It was in 1678, on a return trip from America, that La 
Salle was in France seeking men and means to carry out 
his plan of founding for France a new empire in the 
West. His greatest need was a strong, brave, loyal man 
who would be true in time of danger. Such a man he 



30 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



,iiJiri;ltf!'i;'.'*'.im„ 



found in de Tonti, and between these two there grew up 
a lasting friendship. 

La Salle's plan was to build a line of forts and trad- 
ing posts from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi, and 
then along this river to the Gulf of Mexico. These forts 

were to serve as military posts 
for the protection of the 
French against the savages 
and as trading centers for 
those who bartered with them, 
giving beads and trinkets in 
exchange for furs and skins. 
But first, he must explore the 
country. 

De Tonti was the engineer 
of the party. He it was who 
built all the forts as well 
as the Griffin, a vessel of 
forty-five tons burden, on which La Salle sailed in ex- 
ploring the Great Lakes. He built Fort Miami 
(mi-am'-i) near Fort Erie and a fort on the present site 
of Peoria, Illinois. It was at Peoria that the noble ele- 
ments of de Tonti 's character shone most brightly. La 
Salle left him in command of the fort at this place, while 
he returned to Canada on business. At -this juncture, 
the men mutinied and deserted, leaving de Tonti with 
only four companions. But faithful to duty and to his 




ROBERT CAVELIER DE LA 
SALLE. 



HENRI DE TONTI. 



31 



friend, he remained at his post. He sent two men to 
inform La Salle, and with the other two he prepared to 
hold the fort. 

All around were Illinois Indians, who mifirht become 
hostile at any moment. To add to the difficulties, at this 
time the Iroquois (ir-o-kwoi'), a neighborint? tribe, made 
war upon the Illinois; and the Illinois Indians, thinking 
that the French 



were inciting the 
Iroquois to this 
war, seized de 
Tonti, charged him 
with treachery, 
and drew their 
hatchets to kill 
him. In broken 
Illinois speech, he 
finally allayed 

their suspicions. 
Many a man would 
have given up and, 
if possible, would 
have made his es- 
cape back to Can- 
ada ; but de Tonti 
was heroic. He knew that war between the Indians 
would endanger the plans of La Salle ; so, at the risk of 




La Salle's Route ^^^ 
Hennepin's Ro ute ■»- 



THE FRENCH FORTS FROM THE GREAT 
LAKES TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 



32 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

his life, he went over to the camp of the Iroquois to neo^o- 
tiate peace. While trying to persuade the Indians to 
give up their hostilities, he was stabbed, almost fatally ; 
but he stood his ground and reminded the Indians of 
their alliance with France and of the danger of fighting 
the Illinois, who were under French protection. The 
savages threatened, but de Tonti refused all compromises 
and insisted on a* genuine peace. 

In spite of this, the Illinois distrusted him and de- 
stroyed his fort, leaving him in the midst of a severe 
northern winter without food or shelter. Although he 
had but one arm and was weakly constituted, he obtained 
food by digging roots and gathering acorns. Such was 
the endurance of the man who became the father of 
Arkansas. 

The next year La Salle returned to Peoria. In the 
meantime, misfortunes had befallen him, and his 
creditors were calling for their money. His vessel, the 
Griffin, laden with skins for the market, had been lost 
on the Great Lakes; and, moreover, the same fate had 
befallen a vessel coming from France with supplies. 
These disasters had made La Salle a poor man. But 
though these brave men had lost everything, they were 
not discouraged. They merely changed their plans. In- 
stead of exploring the Mississippi in a large vessel, they 
traveled down the river in canoes. Like Marquette, they 
stopped near the mouth of the Arkansas and were enter- 



HENRI DE TONTI. 33 

tained by the Indians in a most friendly manner. These 
children of the forest showed their visitors marked honor 
by dancinci: the calumet, an act of rare occurrence, per- 
formed only in celebrating a peace, or in concluding an 
alliance, or in entertaining distinguished guests. Both 
La Salle and de Tonti praised highly the good qualities 
of these Indians. The Indians gave La Salle the same 
advice that they had given ^larquette nine years before 
— he should go no farther down the river. But he went 
on to the mouth of the IMississippi and claimed posses- 
sion of the whole valley and all the land to the west of 
it in the name of Louis XIV, 
the King of France. This 
was in 1682. 

Having accomplished the 
first part of their plan,— 
that of exploration, — they 
turned their attention to the 
second part — that of build- 
ing a line of forts from the 

ri ^. T ^ 4. +1 A-\ f LOUIS XIV, KING OF FRANCE. 

Great Lakes to the mouth oi 

the IMississippi. De Tonti built Fort St. Louis on the 
Illinois River and made treaties w^ith the surrounding 
Indians; while La Salle returned to France to collect 
supplies and to get settlers for a colony at the mouth of 
the Mississippi and for proposed trading posts along its 
banks. He returned with four ships laden with men and 




34 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



supplies. However, he missed the great river and landed 
in what is now Texas. Here he built a fort, which like- 
wise he named St. Louis in honor of the French king. 
Discovering his mistake, La Salle started from Texas in 
an effort to find the Mississippi and to return to Canada. 
Hardly had he begun his search before he was killed by 
one of his own party. Thus perished La Salle, France's 
greatest explorer. 




Fioin a painting by Miss Anne Ilatley. 



ARKANSAS POST, THE FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT IN THE 
LOUISIANA TERRITORY. 

De Tonti, at the proper time, had left Fort St. Louis 
on the Illinois River and gone to the mouth of the Mis- 



HENRI DE TONTI. 



35 



sissippi to join La Salle. On his journey he met his old 

friends, the Arkansas Indians, who afjain entertained him. 

Not finding La Salle, de Tonti decided to honor these 

Arkansas friends by locating a fort in their midst. He 

directed six of his companions to build a log cabin and 

told them to "hold 

the fort." This was 

in 1686, an important 

date in our history. 

The post was on the 

Arkansas River, a 

few mil(^ from its 

mouth. It was not 

only the first white 

settlement within the 

present boundaries of 

Arkansas, but also the 

first in the great 

Louisiana Territory. 

Thirteen years later, 

the second fort was 

established at Biloxi ( bi-16k'-si ) , in what is now the state 

of JMississippi. It was to this settlement that Bienville 

(byah-vel'), the first French governor of Louisiana, 

was sent. 

Desiring to make the Arkansas settlement permanent, 

de Tonti, three years after founding it, remembered the 




BIENVILLE, GOVERNOR OF 
LOUISIANA. 



36 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

post in a substantial way. He made a grant of several 
thousand acres to the Church at that place and for three 
years, at his own expense, maintained a missionary. Be- 
sides performing his duties as a preacher, the missionary 
was to instruct the natives in agriculture. 

De Tonti was a loyal friend. He had more than once 
risked his life for La Salle; and when he heard of his 
death, he fitted out an expedition to go to the rescue of 
the colony which La Salle had planted in Texas. With 
a small party he went down the Mississippi, up the Red 
River, and across Texas. He suffered greatly on this 
journey. For days he waded through water, often 
waist deep, and again and again was he forced to cut 
his way through thickets matted with vines, while con- 
stantly he was in danger of an attack by treacherous 
savages. Finally his own men deserted him, and he was 
compelled to return. Just as he reached the Post on the 
Arkansas River, he was stricken with malarial fever ; and 
for weeks he lingered on the border of life and death, 
though carefully nursed by his old French and Indian 
friends. 

The remainder of his life de Tonti spent keeping his 
forts in repair and making explorations. In 1700 he 
made his last journey down the Mississippi and finally 
went to Mobile, where he died in 1704. History has 
never done justice to this noble man, though he was 
appreciated by a few. La Salle had been loud in his 



HENRI DE TONTI. 37 

praise, and the French governors extolled his character 
and thought him capable of any enterprise. For him, 
when duty called or a friend Avas in need, no privation 
was too great, no suffering too severe, no danger too 
threatening. He served his adopted country without 
pay, and to her he was faithful to the end. 

Test Questions. 

Who was Henri de Tonti? How did he happen to come to 
America? What was La Salle planning to do? How was he 
to do it? What was de Tonti's position in the expedition? 
In this position, what service did he render? Of the first part 
of La Salle's plan, what did the party accomplish? What 
hardships did de Tonti undergo? Of the second part of La 
Salle's plan, what did the party accomplish? Had any white 
men been down the river before? What was the Louisiana 
Territory? When and after whom was it named? What be- 
came of La Salle? Who was the first governor of the Louisiana 
Territory? What was the principal occupation of the French 
who came west? Compare this with the main business of the 
English colonists. To us what is the most important date in 
this chapter? Why? What kind of man was de Tonti? Give 
examples of his bravery. Why is he called the father of 
Arkansas? From these three chapters, what have you learned 
of the customs of the Indians? 

Map Questions. 

Map of Europe. — Locate France, England. Map of the United 
States. — Where was the land of the Illinois Indians? the land 
of the Iroquois? Locate Fort Miami, Peoria, Fort St. Louis, 
Mobile, Biloxi, Texas, the Louisiana Territory, Arkansas Post. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE GREAT PURCHASE. 

1803. 

Prior to 1803, the Louisiana Territory was a ball 
tossed to and fro between France and Spain. France 
was the big boy who said when the ball should be tossed. 
The tossing was always done in secret, and every time it 
had its hidden purpose. 

We have seen how de Soto, a Spaniard, first discovered 
the Mississippi, but how Spain was slow in taking ad- 
vantage of the opportunities which her explorers pointed 
out ; how France, a more vigorous nation, came forward 
and occupied the valley, in pursuance of the policy of La 
Salle; and how Marquette and La Salle explored the 
country and established posts along the river. Spain 
suffered a great loss when France took the Mississippi 
valley, but she had only herself to blame. 

France, however, did but little better than Spain. She 
neither opened farms nor built cities, but contented her- 
self by trading with the Indians. As a consequence, the 
few people that came into Louisiana, and especially into 
what is now Arkansas, were soldiers and traders. There 



THE GREAT PURCHASE. 



39 



were no farmers and but few merchants. No perma- 
nent settlements were made except around military posts. 
As has been mentioned, the first settlement in Arkan- 
sas was made by de Tonti, near the mouth of the Arkan- 
sas River at a place afterward called Arkansas Post. 
Frequently Canadians came into the country and re- 




FRENCH FLEET ON THE LOUISIANA COAST. 



mained for a year or two trading with the Indian tribes, 
the Osages (o'-saj-es) and the Quapaws (kwa'-paws), 
probably the same Indians that de Soto found in this 
region. For the purpose of trading with these Indians 
and because of the supposed wealth in the country, an- 
other settlement near the Arkansas Post was made by 
adventurers in 1718. But this was soon abandoned. As 



40 



MAKERS OF ARKANSxiS HISTORY. 



a geographical division, Arkansas was known to the 
Spaniards, being mentioned in some old Spanish records 
of about 1780, as the ''Parish of St. Arkansas," in the 
province of Louisiana. Its name was that of a tribe of 
Indians; and the first French explorers, hearing it, had 





I 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^T^ t jT^^^ 




^^Wmm 


A 


v^^^^^^^^^^B^ ^^^H^hh^h 




^^^^K ^\ jHHI 


1 s 


^^^HIk > ^-^^1 


IH 


^^^^^^^^^^^^■^^ Y-.1 -'^^1 


Hi 



From the painting by DvUiroche. 

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 



spelled it after the method of their own language, 
Arkansas. In 1800, this Parish had a population of about 
four hundred. As a whole, the country remained a wil- 
derness occupied by roving bands of savages. The result 



THE GREAT PURCHASE. 41 

was that the Louisiana Territory, extendino^ from the 
Mississippi River to the Rocky ^lountains, made but 
little progress from the time of La Salle down to 1803. 
In the meantime, several changes in government took 
place. 

By the famous treaty of Paris, in 1763, France, who 
had been badly defeated in a war with England, had to 
give away nearly all her American possessions. She 
ceded Louisiana to Spain, and all the territory east of 
the Mississippi River to her victorious enemy, England. 
But Spain was no more successful in developing Louisi- 
ana than France had been ; for the territory remained 
a wilderness. 

By 1800, the political situation in Europe had again 
changed. Napoleon, the greatest general of the age, 
was at the head of affairs in France. It was his ambition 
to regain Louisiana and to establish in x\merica a great 
French power to offset the English power. With this 
in view, in 1800 he secretly made a treaty with Spain by 
which Louisiana again came into the possession of 
France. lie left Spain in control while he privately 
made extensive preparations to build up in the New 
World a great French empire with New Orleans as the 
capital. Rumors of this scheme reached the United 
States and greatly alarmed the American people, 
especially the people of the AVest, who were ready to 
fight rather than to lose the use of the Mississippi River. 



42 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Besides, they did not want a French empire that might 
become hostile established just across the Mississippi. 
Indeed it Avas time for action. 

The American people had already gained their inde- 
pendence from England (1783) and had established 
a republic. At the time that France acquired Louisi- 
ana, Thomas Jeffer- 
son was President of 
the United States. 
He at once saw the 
danger of Napoleon's 
scheme ; and fear- 
ing that the United 
States might lose the 
right to carry com- 
merce along the Mis- 
sissippi River, he at 
once directed Robert Livingston, our minister to France, 
to purchase New Orleans if possible. He also sent James 
Monroe, who was popular in France, to aid Mr. Living- 
ston in the negotiations. President Jefferson in his 
letter to Mr. Livingston said : ' ' There is on the globe 
one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and 
habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the 
products of three-eighths of our territory must pass to 
market." 
At first, Napoleon would not listen to Mr. Livingston ; 





THE GREAT PURCHASE. 



43 



but suddenly, in 1808, in the midst of his preparations 
to occupy New Orleans, the great warrior changed his 
mind and said to Marbois (mar-bwii'), . his secretary, 
*'I renounce Louisiana. It is not only New Orleans I 
want to cede, but the 
entire colony without re- 
serve. Open the subject 
this very day to ^Ir. 
Livingston." Why this 
change of mind? Was 
the great Napoleon 
frightened ? No. AVar 
was about to break out 
between . England and 
France. Now England 
was mistress of the 
ocean; she could easily 

drive France off the /^^ // /^U/7P ^ /^ 
high seas. Napoleon / 

knew that in the event of such a war, England would 
seize New Orleans; and he therefore wisely decided to 
sell the whole of the territory to the United States, the 
best purchaser. 

Monroe and Livingston were directed to buy New 
Orleans; but they had no power to purchase the whole 
of Louisiana. There were no cables then, and Napoleon 
would not wait for them to write home and get authority. 




44 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY, 



They therefore concluded to go beyond their instructions, 
and in a few days they signed a treaty for the purchase 
of the whole country. The United States promised to 
pay for the territory fifteen million dollars — less than 
three cents an acre. 

Napoleon, after signing the treaty, said, ''I have just 

given to England a mari- 
time rival that will sooner 
or later humble her 
pride." Nobler and more 
patriotic was the senti- 
ment expressed by Liv- 
ingston, when he laid 
down his pen. Speaking 
to Monroe, he said, "We 
have lived long, but this 
is the noblest work of 
our whole lives. It will 
change vast solitudes into 
flourishing districts. From this day the United States 
take their place among the powers of the first rank. ' ' 

December 20th of the same year was fixed as the time 
for the transfer of the territory to the United States. 
On that day a French officer at New Orleans slowly low- 
ered the French flag, while at the same time gradually 
rose the stars and stripes. Amid the shouts of the multi- 
tude and the boom of cannon, the United States took 




^,^^-'^->'^-^^^ 



THE GREAT PURCHASE. 



45 



possession of Louisiana. The territory that had changed 
hands so often had at last found a permanent owner. 
It Avas no longer to be subject to the whims of kings and 
princes thousands of miles away. 




<C\5j- 



> 4/ - ""^-t-iL'^E 



a/ 







Ay d CO. N Y. 



MAP SHOWING GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES WEST OF 

THE MISSISSIPPI. 

This purchase gave to the United States peaceful con- 
trol of the Mississippi and of a vast territory of almost 



46 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

boundless resources. Here her people might build happy 
homes and live undisturbed. To Louisiana it gave lib- 
erty and a republican government instead of tyranny or 
the misrule of a European king. Out of this territory 
have been carved twelve states and two territories. In 
1803 it had a population of about fifty thousands ; in 1903 
it had a population of about fifteen millions. The people 
of this territory were largely French. But, although they 
preferred to remain under the French flag, they did 
not oppose the new government ; for the United States 
assured the people that they would be protected in their 
life, property, and religion. 

The population of Louisiana grew slowly during the 
French and the Spanish rule, because its government 
was not so organized as to attract settlers. Before a 
man could settle in the province, he had to secure permis- 
sion from a foreign official. A citizen could not go 
twenty miles from his home unless he got a passport de- 
scribing the road that he was to travel and the place 
that he was to visit. The English or American people 
east of the Mississippi did not like these restrictions and 
would not cross the river. But after the United States 
came into possession of Louisiana, the territory was 
settled rapidly by the Anglo-Saxon pioneer from east 
of the river. By 1819 there were fourteen thousand 
people in Arkansas alone. 

During the French and the Spanish rule, Arkansas 



THE GREAT PURCHASE. 



47 



had been a district in the province of Louisiana. An 
officer, called commandant (kom-an-diint'), was ap- 
pointed to govern the district; and he resided at Arkan- 
sas Post. He had much power, as he was both judge and 
executive. From 1804 to 1812 Arkansas w^as a part of 
the territory of Louisiana ; from 1812 to 1819 it formed 
one or more counties in the territory of Missouri, the 




ARKANSAS TIMBER EXHIBIT AT THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE 
EXPOSITION, ST. LOUIS, 1904. 

present state of Louisiana having been admitted into 
the Union in 1812. There are now seventy-five counties 
in Arkansas; but in 1813 Arkansas \vas one county in 
the territory of ]\Iissouri. At that time she sent only one 
representative to the legislature, which met at St. Louis. 
By 1819 Arkansas had been divided into five counties; 



48 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

namely, Arkansas, Lawrence, Pulaski, Clark, and Hemp- 
stead counties. 



Test Questions. 

What countries had in turn claimed or owned the Louisiana 
Territory? State exactly how long it had been under the rule 
of each. What was the Treaty of Paris, and how did it affect 
this country? Who was the greatest man in France in the 
year 1800? Which of his ambitions concerned this country? 
How far did he carry out his plan? Describe the political 
divisions of America at that time. How was Napoleon's plan 
looked upon by the people of the United States? What did 
this country prepare to do? How did Napoleon receive our 
proposal, and why? Who was President of the United States 
at that time? Whom did he appoint to negotiate this pur- 
chase? What did Jefferson give as his reason for this pur- 
chase? What did Napoleon say after signing the treaty? Was 
this prophecy ever fulfilled? What did Livingston say of the 
treaty? What was the exact date on which the territory was 
transferred to the United States? With what ceremony was 
this done? What difference did this change of government 
make to the French settlers of the territory? Describe the 
development of the territory of Louisiana during the next 
hundred years. Why had it not developed more rapidly be- 
fore? Describe the government of Arkansas during the first 
twenty years following the purchase. 

Map Questions. 

Mav of Louisiana Purchase, p. 45. — Bound the Louisiana 
Territory. Map of the United States. — Bound the present state 
of Arkansas; of Missouri; of Louisiana. What states now 
occupy the old territory of Louisiana? Locate New Orleans. 
Map of Europe. — Where is Paris? 



CHAPTER V. 
FREDERICK NOTREBE. 

A Type of the Old French Settler. 

1775-1840 (?). 

When the United States acquired Louisiana, the 
French were about the only people in Arkansas besides 
the Indians. There were not many of these Frenchmen ; 
but they were a cultured, refined people, whose influence 
was wholesome. They intermarried with the American 
settlers who, after the purchase, pushed across the ]\Iis- 
sissippi from the older states ; and their descendants have 
furnished some of the best families of the State. The 
impress of the French is seen in the names of our creeks, 
rivers, mountains, towns, and families. Fourche la Fave 
(foorsh la fav), Ouachita, Poteau (p6-to'), Petit Jean 
(pe-te' zhon), Des Arc (da zark), De Vall's (de-valz'), 
Bluff, Sevier (se-ver'), and Maumelle (mo-mel') are 
a few of the many names left to remind us of our obli- 
gations to them. 

An interesting type of the French settler is Colonel 
Frederick Notrebe (no-treb'), who found his way to Ar- 



50 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



kansas Post about 1810. He was a tall, handsome man, 
of commanding presence ; and he possessed all the polish 
and refinement of the proud country in which he was 
born. He had despised the weak king of France and 
when the French Revolution broke out, had espoused 
the cause of the people. He had served with distinc- 
tion as an officer under the great Napoleon and had 
rejoiced in the overthrow of the King and in the estab- 
lishment of the Republic. But when, in turn, his chief 




ALONG THE STREAM OP THE ARKANSAS. 



overthrew the Republic and established for himself an 
empire, Notrebe was sorely grieved. Despairing of free- 
dom at home, he turned his back on his native land, came 
to America, and settled on the Arkansas River. Here 
he had a large plantation which he cultivated with slave 



FREDERICK NOTREBE. 



51 



labor. He was also a merchant and soon became a 
wealthy man. Open-handed and hospitable, he delifrhted 
in entertaining at his magnificent house the distinguished 
men of the Territory. He was far-famed for his princely 
hospitality of the approved old Southern style, and he 
was deservedly popular. 

This generous Frenchman was a life-long friend of 
Alexander AValker, of whom we shall learn more in an- 
other chapter. On one occasion they had a misunder- 
standing, Mr. Walker having said something that the 
proud Frenchman considered an insult. Like all men 
of his country, he was ready to 
defend his honor with his blood ; 
so he challenged Mr. Walker to 
a duel. According to the code 
of our forefathers, dueling was 
about the only way to avenge an 

insult. Mr. Walker accepted the 
challenge, and early one morn- 
ing the two men met. Mr. Wal- 
ker was the first on the ground ; 
and, seeing Colonel Notrebe ap- 
proaching with a large party, he 
cried out, '^Well, Frederick, if I 
had known that you were going to come with an army 
at your back, I would have come over during the night 
and thrown up breastworks.'* This created a laugh. 




DRESS OF FREDERICK 
NOTREBE'S DAY. 



52 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Friends intervened, and the difficulty was settled with- 
out bloodshed. The two men shook hands and ever after 
were true friends. 

Mr. Walker is a type of the English settler, as Colonel 
Notrebe is of the French. The English differed from the 
French in many ways. They did not like close neighbors, 
so they pushed out into the wilderness. There they set- 
tled on rich lands and opened farms upon which they 
built log houses. The French, on the contrary, settled 
in villages. They laid off long, narrow streets and built 
their houses near one another. These were rude log 
houses with stick and dirt chimneys. Near the village 
was a common pasture to which they drove their cattle ; 
also, a common woodland from which all the villagers 
got their fuel. Every family, however, had a separate 
field to cultivate. When at work, the men kept guns 
strapped to their backs. This was a necessary precau- 
tion against Indian treachery. 

These people farmed, hunted, trapped, and traded with 
the natives. On trading expeditions, three or four would 
go together. Before starting they would load their 
boats with trinkets, hatchets, guns, powder, knives, 
blankets, and gay-colored handkerchiefs. Then they 
would row up the Arkansas or the White River. A¥hen 
they neared an Indian village, one of them would hold 
up the calumet, and the eager savages would soon bring 
out their skins and furs to exchange for the trinkets of 



FREDERICK NOTREBE. 



53 



the Frenchmen. Sometimes the party would go overland 
on horseback and frequently these expeditions took a 
month or more. But the great market was at New Or- 










FRENCH TRADERS NEARING AX INDIAN VILLAGE. 

leans; so, as soon as they had gathered at the Post a 
supph^ of skins and furs, they would fit out boats for a 
trip down the Mississippi. 

As these people were simple in their habits, they had 
but few wants. They dressed in buckskin and wore 
moccasins and coon-skin caps. Later on, however, sheep 
raising was introduced; and in each settler's home the 
wife and mother dyed and spun the wool. The thread 



54 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

was woven into cloth called homespun, and this took the 
place of buckskin. This cloth was used far down into 
the last century, and even today it may be found in 
some of the interior counties of the State. 



Test Questions. 

Describe the white settlers of Arkansas at the beginning of 
the nineteenth century. Do the French still people Arkansas? 
How does the population of any district change? What have 
we to remind us of the French? Who was Colonel Notrebe? 
In what did the French, as settlers, differ from the English? 
Describe a French village. What was the chief business of 
these people, and how did they carry it on? Describe their 
dress. What new industry was introduced, and how did it 
affect the life of the people? Are there any descendants of the 
early settlers in your neighborhood? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Trace the Fourche la Fave River; the 
Ouachita; the Poteau; the Petit Jean, Where is Des Arc? De 
Vall's Bluff? Maumelle Mountain? 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 

AYhen INIarquette and de Tonti visited Arkansas, the 
territory was occupied by two great tribes of Indians — 
the Quapaws and the Osages. The Arkansas River sepa- 
rated them, the Quapaws living south, and the Osages, 
north of that stream. The Quapaws were known also by 
another name, Arkansas, which, as we have said, was 
early given by the French to the region around our larg- 
est river and to the river itself. 

So the first Arkansan of history was the red man. He 
was copper-colored and had long, straight, jet-black 
hair, high cheek bones, a beardless face, and black eyes. 
He was swift-footed and quick-witted. He clothed him- 
self in skins and furs in winter, but in summer went 
almost naked. He lived chiefly by fishing and hunting, 
spent most of his time in the open air, and knew the 
forest and its streams perfectly; he could hoot like an 
owl, bark like a wolf, and gobble like a turkey. He was a 
many-sided creature. His virtues were patience and for- 
titude ; his vices, revengefulness, cruelty, cowardice, and 
treachery. He would never risk a fair or an honorable 



56 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



battle, for he preferred to fall upon his enemy unawares 
in the dead of nii>ht. 







INDIAN SPYING BEFORE THE ATTACK. 

AYhen Marquette and de Tonti found the Arkansas 
Indians, they were living in villages, usually on a river. 
Their houses were built of logs and covered with bark. 
Their beds were mats placed upon some rude contrivance 
to lift them above the dirt floor. Marquette in his 
journal tells us that these Quapaws raised each year two 
crops of corn, and they had a supply of peaches, apples, 
plums, and watermelons. Buffalo, deer, turkey, and 
bear abounded; but owing to the hostility of the tribes 
to the north, the Quapaws did not hunt buffalo beyond 
the Arkansas River. 

These people had certainly taken some steps in civili- 
zation, for they had earthen pots, bowls, and dishes. 
Indian pottery has been found all along our rivers. It 
was made of clay intermixed with crushed shells and 
was either burnt or sun-dried. 

Similar pottery, with tools and ornaments, has been 
found in mounds on our prairies. The pottery is un- 



THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 



57 



glazed and often painted; the tools and the ornaments 
are made of different metals and stones. As they show 
workmanship superior to that of the Indians, it is prob- 
able that another people lived here before the Indians. 
But these mound builders, as they are called, no white 
man ever saw; only the mounds that they left give evi- 
dence that they once existed. Some of the mounds near 
Toltec, about sixteen miles east of Little Rock, are 




INDIAN POTTERY. 

seventy-five feet high. They are flat on top, and several 
of them are enclosed by a levee ten feet high. Because 
the mound builder left no better record of himself, and 
no one ever wrote of having seen him, we call him a 
prehistoric man and still regard the Indian as the first 
Arkansan. 

Marquette and de Tonti found the Indians in Arkan- 
sas peaceable, kind, and hospitable. The historian of 
La Salle's party, speaking of these Indians, says, ''The 
whole village came down to the shore to meet us, except 
the women, who had run off. I cannot tell you the civil- 



58 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

ity and kindness we received from these barbarians, who 
brought us poles to make huts, supplied us with fire- 
wood during the three days we were among them, and 
took turns in feasting us. But this gives no idea of the 
good qualities of these savages, who are gay, civil, and 
free-hearted. * * * ^Ye did not lose the value of a 
pin while we were among them." 

On the other hand, de Soto found the Indians warlike, 
treacherous, and bloodthirsty, and he had constant 
trouble Avith them. This difference was due to the way 
the explorers treated the savages. Marquette and de 
Tonti were kind and considerate, but de Soto was cruel 
and treacherous. 

Arkansas has indeed been fortunate in her dealings 
with the natives. Many of her sister states have suffered 
from the ravages of Indian wars; unsuspecting villages 
have been burned, the people tomahawked, and farms 
laid waste. But Arkansas has been practically free from 
such struggles. For this, perhaps, her thanks are due 
her first settlers, the French. 

The French carried on friendly trade with the natives. 
They petted and flattered them, humored their whims 
and often married them. On the other hand, the English, 
in their dealings, were blunt, plain, and straightforward; 
They looked with contempt upon the Indians, as inferior 
beings. Therefore the Indians were usually allies of the 
French and enemies of the English. 



THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 



59 



Soon after the United States had purchased Louisiana, 
and settlers from the east had begun to make their homes 
in Arkansas, it was discovered that the red man was in 
the way of the white man. The red man wanted the land 




MAP OF ARKANSAS SHOWING INDIAN LAND CESSIONS. 



for hunting, and the white man wanted it for farming. 
Here was a conflict ; and it would have given rise to war, 
had not tact been used to settle the difference. The 



60 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

United States saw the danger and treated with the 
Indians — bought their lands and gave them lands farther 
west, in the Indian Territory. 

Treaties were made with the Osages in 1808 and in 
1818, and with the Quapaws in 1818 and in 1824, by 
which they gave up all claims to lands in Arkansas. The 
names of the Quapaw chiefs through whom the United 
States made these treaties were "Dry Man," "Eagle's 
Bill," and "Tame Buffalo." 

In 1817 the United States ceded to the Cherokees terri- 
tory in northwest Arkansas in exchange for land owned 
by them east of the Mississippi ; but this was not satis- 
factory to Arkansas, and in 1828 the Cherokees were 
given land in the Indian Territory in exchange for their 
Arkansas land. The Choctaws also once had their home 
in the western part of Arkansas. They were allowed to 
remain only five years, and in 1825 they too gave up 
their possessions there for land in the Indian Territory. 

Although so many Indians on their way to the 
Indian Teritory have made Arkansas a stopping-place, 
they have given her almost no trouble ; and her dealings 
with them, as well as those of the United States, have 
been honorable and peaceable. 

The story of the red man is a sorrowful one. His best 
lands have been taken from him, and by degrees he has 
been pushed back by the white man. He is gradually 
disappearing, and it is only a question of time when he 



THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 



61 



will become extinct. The Indian clearly realizes this. 
Many pathetic stories are told showing his sorrow over 
the loss of his happy hunting-grounds, and over the dis- 
appearance of his people. In Arkansas history is this 
touching anecdote of the old chief, Saracen : 

Saracen was chief of those Quapaw Indians who, in 




SARACEN RESCUIXG THE STOLEN CHILDREN. 

1824, gave up their land in south Arkansas and moved 
to the Indian Territory. After a time he left them and 
came back to Arkansas ; for he had been sad away from 
the land of his fathers. He asked Governor Pope for 
permission to pass the last days of his life at his home 
near Pine Bluff. The Governor assured him that no 



62 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

one would trouble him if he wished to return, and Sar- 
acen was grateful for this kindness. The old settlers of 
Pine Bluff welcomed him back, for he had always been a 
good friend and neighbor. 

Soon after his return a roving band of Chickasaw 
Indians stole two children of a fisherman near Pine 
Bluff. The weeping mother besought Saracen to rescue 
her children, and he promised to do so. Alone, after 
night-fall, he overtook the marauding band near Arkan- 
sas Post. Waiting till they were asleep, he gave the 
war-whoop, and with tomahawk uplifted sprang upon the 
unsuspecting savages, and frightened them away. Then 
he rescued the children, and returned them at once to 
their mother. For this and other noble deeds, the Roman 
Catholics placed in their church at Pine Bluff a memorial 
window in honor of Saracen. 



Test Questions. 

What Indians occupied Arkansas when Marquette visited it? 
What is the origin of the name of our State? Describe the first 
Arkansan; give his characteristics, his food, and his manner 
of life and dress. What evidences are there that the Indian 
was not really the first Arkansan? Then why may we give the 
Indian this name? What do we call the mound builders? 

Explain why the Indians treated Marquette and de Tonti 
differently from the way they treated de Soto. Why has Arkan- 
sas been so free from Indian warfare? Why has the Indian 
usually been a friend of the French and an enemy to the Eng- 
lish? Why were the Indians removed from Arkansas? When? 
How? Tell the story of Saracen. 



THE FIRST ARKANSAN. 63 

Map Questions. 

Map of Indian Cessions, p. 59. — Trace on the map the terri- 
tory first occupied by the Quapaws; by the Osages. Point out 
on the map the land acquired from the Quapaws in 1818; in 
1824; from the Osages in 1808; in 1818. What territory was 
ceded to the Cherokees in 1817? Point to all the land open to 
the white man in 1828. Trace the Choctaw cession of 1825. 
Where are these Indians now? 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Pine Bluff. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 

1800-1835. 

Though Saracen was kind and noble, the Indians as a 
rule were treacherous; and the white man had to be con- 
stantly on his guard against them. To the terror of the 
pioneer boatmen, they lurked along the river banks, con- 
cealing themselves behind trees or in cane-brakes. At 
the report of the signal gun — for the Indians now used 
fire-arms bought or captured from the white men,— 
they would make a general attack. Howling fiercely, 
they would rush to the bank, shoot the poor men who 
steered the boat, and then attempt to seize the vessel. A 
fight, lasting for hours, often ensued, the Indians follow- 
ing along the bank and shooting at the men on board. 
Since the boatmen also were skilled marksmen, the sav- 
ages could overcome them only with overpowering num- 
bers or by treachery; and they often did by cunniflg 
what they failed to do by open assault. Frequently one 
would come to the bank, hail the captain, and ask to be 
taken on board. Then, when the boat neared the bank, 
other Indians who lay concealed near by, would shoot 



THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 



65 



the boatmen and seize the boat. But these tricks the 
boatmen soon learned and frustrated. 

Navigation in those days was quite different from what 
it is now. Should you make a trip on an ocean steamer 
today, you would find it elegantly furnished and sup- 
plied with every convenience. Your ticket would entitle 
you to all its comforts — its excellent meals, desirable 
berths, and attractive parlors. A big steamer will carry 
about three thousand passengers, or as many people as 
live in towns such as Conway or Searcy. A great mer- 
chant-steamer will carry over twenty-five thousand tons 




FULTON'S STEAMBOAT, "THE CLERMONT." 

of freight. Steamships do a large part of the carrying 
trade of the world. The oceans, the Great Lakes, and the 
large rivers are covered with them. 



66 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



But it has not always been thus ; for it was less than a 
century ago that Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. 
Only about 1835 did steamers come into general use on 
the Mississippi, the Arkansas, and the Missouri rivers, 
which till that time were navigated with the raft, the 
flatboat, and the keel-boat. 

In the eighteenth century but few people lived in the 
Mississippi valley; consequently there was not traffic 
enough to justify a man's devoting his time to boating. 
No boats ran regularly up and down the river. If a 
pioneer, living up the valley, wished to market his prod- 
ucts, he himself had to carry them down the river in a 
flatboat or on a raft. But the first thirty years of the 




PIONEERS TRAVELING BY FLATBOAT. 

nineteenth century developed a special class of boatmen 
to operate these vessels. They made a business of plying 
between New Orleans and points along the Mississippi 
River and its branches. 

There was little difficulty in going down stream, as 
the raft simply floated with the current. But going up 



THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 



67 



stream — there was the rub. Sometimes the boat was 
' ' cordelled, " as the boatmen said, up stream. The men 
fastened long ropes to each side of the boat or raft, and 
then taking the other ends, they walked along the banks 
just ahead of the vessel and pulled it up stream. Some- 
times the ropes were fastened to trees ahead, and the men 




CORBELLING A STEAMER UP-STREAM. 



on board would propel the vessel by pulling the ropes. 
When the river was not too swift, the boat could be 
pushed along by means of poles. This was hard work, 
and it took about fifty men to impel a keel-boat up 
stream. 



68 MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Traveling in those days was necessarily slow, and a trip 
from Little Rock to New Orleans consumed as much time 
as a voyage to Japan in these modern days. A keel, leav- 
ing Cincinnati in the spring for New Orleans, would 
return in the fall. Merchants bought their sugar and 
molasses in New Orleans and their drygoods and hard- 
ware in Philadelphia or New York. It took several 
months for goods to come from New York to Arkansas. 
They were brought in wagons as far as Pittsburg, there 
loaded on vessels and taken down the Ohio River to the 
Mississippi, thence to the mouth of the Arkansas, and up 
this stream to the point nearest the place of destination. 
This method continued a long time, for Arkansas had 
been a state many years before railroads were built. 

The boatmen of the early days had to be strong, brave, 
rough-and-ready men, ready to undergo all hardships and 
to face any danger. Some of them became noted for 
their noble deeds and daring adventures. They endured 
alike the blasts of winter and the heat of summer. In- 
deed, robbers and storms were the more common sources 
of danger. Men made it a business to lie in wait for 
these boats and to rob them as they were towed up 
stream. The robbers lived in caves or near the mouth of 
creeks emptying into the Mississippi. As soon as a band 
of them discovered a boat going up or down the river, 
they prepared for an attack. AA^hen it was opposite them, 
they dashed out from their hiding places, perhaps shot 



THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 



69 



one or two of the men, and boarded the vessel. In a 
short time they had its rich cargo stored away in their 
hut or cave near by. 




POLING A RAFT ON THE MISSISSIPPI. 

But Indians and robbers were not so much feared by 
the riverm.en as were storms. One of our early boatmen, 
Captain David Miller, once encountered a memorable 
storm on the Mississippi. lie was making a trip south 
on his vessel, the Reindeer, with a large cargo for 
points along the Arkansas and the AVhite River. Among 
his passengers were Governor Pope of Arkansas and his 
nephew. 

One night they were struck by a storm, of w^hich Gov- 
ernor Pope 's nephew gives this account : ' ' About ten 
o'clock that night, while sitting with Captain Miller on 



70 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

the hurricane deck, just in front of the pilot-house, 
listening to him relate some of the stirring events of his 
life on the river, we heard low, distant thunder, which 
came nearer and nearer. The day had been excessively 
hot and sultry. Captain Miller remarked that we were 
likely to have a storm. * * * As soon as the captain 
became fully satisfied of the danger that was about to 
overtake us, he directed the 'pilot to land; and the boat 
was headed for a high bluff on the Missouri side, where 
she was made fast, both bow and stern, with heavy cables. 
The task was hardly accomplished when the storm struck 
us in all its fury, and the enormous hempen cables in 
which we reposed so much confidence parted like silken 
threads, and the boat was blown out into mid-stream 
* * * without steam and at the mercy of the furious 
storm. By good management on the part of the officers, 
the boat was swung around and headed up stream. AVe 
were then struck by a counter blast which careened the 
boat so that water ran over the lower guards and into 
the gentlemen's cabin. * * * The total destruction of 
the boat and the consequent loss of life was only averted 
by the fact that the steamer had a heavily laden barge 
lashed to her starboard side, which prevented her from 
going entirely over with the wind that struck her on the 
lee side." 

David Miller was a brave, true man, and a great cap- 
tain. He did an extensive business on the Arkansas and 



THE PIONEER BOATMAN. 



71 



White rivers. Until the steamer came into use, he plied 
a keel-boat on the Mississippi. He boated so long that 
everybody on his route knew Captain Miller, and he 
knew every point from New Orleans to Cincinnati. He 
was partner with his father-in-law, Mr. Montgomery, in 
a large mercantile establishment at Montgomery Point on 
the Mississippi, near the mouth of the Arkansas. Soon 
after the storm described above, Captain Miller died of 
smallpox. 

Another early boatman noted in Arkansas was Captain 
Pennywit. He came from Virginia early in the century 
and ran a keel-boat between New Orleans and Cincin- 




Fruin an old ijrmt. 



THE LANDING AT VAN BUREN. 



nati. He built the first steamboat ever constructed at 
the latter place and named it Cincinnati. He was in the 
boating business until 1847, when he became a merchant 



72 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

at Van Biiren. Captain Pennywit died in Little Rock 
in 1868. His steamer, the Facility, made its first voyage 
up the Arkansas in 1828. The first steamboat to come to 
Arkansas Post was the Comet, in 1820 ; the first to reach 
Little Rock was the Eagle, in 1822. 

In 1829 Captain Pennywit made a round trip by 
steamer from Little Rock to New Orleans in twenty days. 
This was considered a great triumph. In 1829 our con- 
gressman, IMr. A. H. Sevier, made the trip from Little 
Rock to AVashington, mostly by steamer, in nineteen 
days; and the Washington papers of that time thought 
it a remarkably quick trip. 

Test Questions. 

Describe the life of the pioneer boatmen; its dangers and 
hardships; the methods of operating boats. By whom was the 
steamboat invented? When? Compare travel on a modern 
steamer with that on a western keel-boat a century ago. By 
what route did merchants at "Washington or Fayetteville, 
Arkansas, get their goods seventy-five years ago? How do they 
get them today? 

Name two well-known river captains. For what was each 
especially noted? When did the steamer first appear on the 
Arkansas? When did it come into general use on the 
Mississippi? 

Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Fayetteville, Conway, Searcy. 
Map of the United states. — Locate Cincinnati, New Orleans, 
Philadelphia, Pittsburg, New York, Washington City. 

Trace the river-route from Pittsburg to Little Rock, naming 
the states through which or between which the rivers flow. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
FRONTIER LIFE. 

1800-1836. 

Most of the French pioneers to Arkansas came from 
Canada and what is now the state of Louisiana, while 
our Anglo-Saxon ancestors came from the older states 
east of the Mississippi. The latter came after 1800 and 
were a sturdy, honest, thrifty people. As you know, they 
did not like close neighbors ; so, when the older states be- 
came thickly settled, they went west. From Tennessee, 
Kentucky, and Missouri, where their fathers before them 
had been pioneers, they pushed into the wilds of Ar- 
kansas. 

They found Arkansas a wilderness, where they had to 
brave dangers from savages and wild beasts and to 
endure all the hardships and privations of frontier life. 
They felled the forests, opened and cultivated fields, 
built their log cabins, and here and there established 
settlements. At first, they cultivated their ground with 
a plow fashioned from a forked sapling. One of its 
prongs was cut off a foot above the fork, was sharpened 
and used as the plow. The other prong served as, a beam 



74 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



to which were attached the handles. This homely device 
was used until some time later when it was replaced by 
the bulltongue plow. The chief crop of these pioneers 
was corn. 

The grist-mills of our fathers were few in number, be- 
ing often seventy-five or one hundred miles apart; so 
the corn was usually prepared at home by 
grating or mashing it. The grater was a 
simple contrivance, made by driv- 
ing nails through a piece of tin, 
which was then 
fastened, rough 
side out, to a 
convex board. 
With one end 
of the board in 
a wooden tray 
and the other between the knees, the pioneer would rub 
the corn over the rough surface, cutting it into fine par- 
ticles. Some people still prefer meal prepared in this 
way, as it has a richer flavor. The corn to be grated was 
alw^ays new or boiled. The mortar was made by digging 
out a hole in one end of a large block. Into this cavity 
the corn was poured and then mashed with a pestle made 
to fit the hole. 

Often, instead of grating or mashing the corn, the pio- 
neer farmers made it into "lye hominy." This took the 




AN OLD-TIME PLOW. 



FRONTIER LIFE. 75 

place of bread, and with hog's meat was the chief food 
of many families. Game also was plentiful. General 
Wilkinson, who, in 1806, explored the Arkansas River 
from its source to its mouth, said that there were buffalo, 
elk, and deer enough on that river to support all the 
Indians in the United States for a century. 

Our fathers were bold hunters and delighted in ad- 
venture. They were so much attached to the free life of 
the frontier that they would have rebelled against the 
restraints of older communities. They did not regard it 
a special hardship that they had no roads or that the 
post-office was fifty miles away. They had neither 
stagecoaches nor steamboats ; but they were content with 
keel-boats and ox-wagons. Though they had but few 
comforts, life to them was neither dull nor monotonous. 
They were jolly and happy ; and the young people had 
many diversions, the chief one being dancing. 

Some had religious scruples about dancing, as their 
"parson" said it was wrong; but to the majority, the 
news of a dance gave genuine pleasure. For weeks, it 
was the center of interest. For it alone, they talked and 
planned. Their hearts were all a-flutter for days in 
advance. At the appointed time, people came from far 
and near — some walking, some on horseback, and others 
in ox-w^agons. They were a jolly, rollicking crowd. The 
hero of the occasion was the fiddler, whose fame was 
wide-spread. When hie began to pat his foot vigorously, 



76 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

they knew that he ^vas ready. lie would pick the strings, 
— toom, tooni, — and saw away, head, hands, and feet 



M-*^^ 



OX-WAGONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 

moving together, then, tune and tighten the strings, and 
saw again. Occasionally his voice would sound above 
such airs as "Run Nigger Run," "Fisher's Hornpipe," 
"Great Big Tree in the Sandy Land," and "Old Dan 
Tucker." 

In 1813 the legislature of the territory of Missouri 
formed a number of counties, l^y this act, practically all 
of the present state of Arkansas was made one county 
to be known by the name of Arkansas County; and Ar- 
kansas Post was made its county seat. This county was 
given one representative in Uie territorial legislature, 
which met at St. Louis, the capital. 

Our first representative and law-maker was Colonel 
Alexander Walker, the friend of Colonel Notrebe, and 
one of the first Anglo-Saxon settlers at Arkansas Post. 
This quaint old man found all things beautiful except 
"whistlin' w^omen, crowin' hens, fiddlers, fire-dogs, and 
pop-corn." He had many good qualities and was much 
esteemed by his neighbors, who elected him their first 



FRONTIER LIFE. 



77 



representative in the legislature. Being accustomed to 

hardships, he did not mind his trip on horseback from 

Arkansas Post to St. Louis; though, as there were no 

roads, he had to follow Indian trails, mere bridle paths. 

Colonel Walker made his home at the Post until 1819, 

when Arkansas was organized as a territory, and the 

capital was moved to Little Rock. Then Mr. Walker 

moved to a farm not far from the new capital, but 

on the opposite side 

of the river. ITis ' €^ 

nearest neighbor, 

]\Ir. Rorer, lived two 

miles away. Mr. 
Rorer was one of 

that shiftless, harm- 
less, easy-going class 
of people always to 
be found on the bor- 
derland of civiliza- 
tion. On one occasion 
he borrowed i\Ir. 

Walker's ox-yoke. 
True to the charac- 
teristics of his class, 
he failed to return it. 
When Mr. Walker sent him word to bring it home, he 
replied, "Tell him to come after it if he wants it." 




MR. RORER CARRYING HOME THE 
OX- YOKE. 



78 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Whereupon the Colonel determined to teach his neighbor 
a lesson. 

Shouldering his gun, he walked over to his neighbor's 
house and called for him. Without further persuasion, 
the yoke was carried home. It was a hot July day, and 
his burden was heavy. When they reached the Colonel's 
door, Mr. Rorer, hot and tired, threw the yoke down. 
Mr. Walker asked him if that was where he had found it. 
When he replied that it was not,' he was compelled to pick 
it up and carry it to the place from which he had taken 
it. Then Mr. Walker invited him in, kindly gave him 
a cool drink from the north side of the well, and talked 
pleasantly about neighborhood affairs. When Mr. Rorer 
arose to start home, Colonel Walker said, "Mr. Rorer, 
you are welcome to my ox-yoke whenever you want it; 
but when I ask for its return, I expect you to send it 
home immediately." 

You see that Mr. Walker not only made laws but ex- 
ecuted them. So it was with most of the early settlers. 
They were their own judges and sheriffs, a law unto 
themselves. They did what they thought was right and 
compelled others to do the same, wishing no officers to 
meddle in their affairs. And so they lived until the 
United States organized the territorial government in 
1819. 



FRONTIER IJFE. • 79 

Test Questions. 

What was the difference between the immigrants to Arkansas 
before and after 1800? Whence did most of the Anglo-Saxon 
settlers come? The French settlers? Compare the French 
and Anglo-Saxon settlements. Describe the methods used by 
our grandparents in plowing; in grinding corn. How was 
hominy prepared? What wild animals were here? Describe 
the old time dance. 

In 1812, of what Territory was Arkansas a part? In 1813? 
How was Arkansas organized in 1813? What was the capital 
of Missouri? the county seat of Arkansas? Who was our 
first legislator? Tell the story of the ox-yoke. Of what class 
was Mr. Rorer a type? Colonel Walker? What condition in 
the early life of Arkansas does this story illustrate? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — How far is it from the mouth 
of the Arkansas River to St, Louis? How would you go from 
Little Rock to St. Louis? 



CHAPTER IX. • 
ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 

Arkansas' First Great Statesman. 
1797-1834. 

In our country there are two kinds of government: 
the federal government at Washington, which regulates 
in a general way the affairs of the whole United States; 
and the government in each state or territory, which 
manages its local affairs. The government of the state 
is created by the people of the state and is managed by 
officers elected by citizens of the state. The territorial 
government is established by the federal government 
and is managed largely by officers appointed by the Presi- 
dent of the United States. 

In 1819, by an act of Congress, Arkansas was made 
into a territory. In carrying out the provision of this 
act, President Monroe appointed Robert Crittenden sec- 
retary of the new Territory. He was only twenty-two 
years old; but he had already distinguished himself by 
serving in the War of 1812, between the United States 
and Great Britain, having^ enlisted at the aere of sixteen. 



ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 



81 



When the army of the United States invaded Canada, he 
was among the gallant men who fought at Lundy's 
Lane. His father had served with distinction in the 
Revolutionary War, reaching the rank of major. 

Like most young men of the day, he had but few edu- 
cational advantages. After the war, he studied law in the 
office of his brother. As we have said, his gifts w^ere 
recognized by President ]\ronroe, who sent him as terri- 
torial secretary to Arkan- 
sas Post, the temporary 
capital of the Territory. 
Though the Post was 
over one hundred years 
old, it was still a mere 

village of about one hun- 
dred people, Mr. Crit- 
tenden v;as called upon 
to fill an important office, 
as he was not only secre- 
tary but acting governor 
in the absence of that 
official. As the newly ap- 
pointed territorial gov- 
ernor. Colonel James Miller, did not arrive till several 
months later, the duties of that office at once devolved 
upon ^Ir. Crittenden. 

His first act was to convene the legislature. This was 




ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 



82 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

indeed a peculiar legislature. Today our legislature has 
two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives ; 
and each house has many members. But the first legis- 
lature of Arkansas had only one house, and, what is still 
stranger, that house had only four members ; Robert Crit- 
tenden, Andrew Scott, Charles Jouett, and Robert P. 
Letcher. Mr. Crittenden was the acting governor, and 
the other three were the judges of the Superior Court of 
the Territory. All these officials were appointed by the 
President of the United States. In this first legislature 
the people had no voice at all, as they have today. This 
was the way a territory of the first grade was governed. 

Mr. Crittenden was not in office long before he declared 
Arkansas a territory of the second grade. Let us see 
how a territory of this grade is governed. It has a 
legislature of two houses; the lower house is elected by 
the people, while the upper house is appointed by the 
President of the United States, from a list of names pre- 
sented to him by the lower house. The governor, the 
secretary, and the judges of the Superior Court, how- 
ever, are appointed by the President, whether the terri- 
tory is one of the first or of the second grade. 

The first legislature was in session only seven days, 
but in that time it provided Arkansas with a full set of 
laws. This was done by passing one law which provided 
that all the laws in use in Missouri should likewise be 
used in Arkansas. At this session the Territory was 



ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 



83 



divided into two circuits for the administration of jus- 
tice ; and the offices of auditor and treasurer, at a salary 
of three hundred dollars each, were created. 

Now came the important work of organizing the gov- 
ernment and of putting the laws into operation. It was 
in this connection that Mr. Crittenden rendered Arkan- 
sas a great service. IMany difficulties confronted him — 




PIONEER MAIL-CARRIER CROSSING THE PLAIN. 

no roads, no money in the treasury, and only two post- 
offices in the Territory. Besides, the Quapaw Indians 
occupied much of the Territory, and great skill in man- 
aging them was necessary in order to prevent trouble 
between them and the whites. It was well that Mr. Crit- 
tenden brought to this work of organization a strong 



84 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

body, a vigorous mind, and great energy. He appointed 
officers for the counties, organized a local and a central 
government for the Territory, and set things in motion 
before Governor Miller arrived. 

The second legislature convened the following year at 
Arkansas Post. Its most important measure was the 
removal of the capital to Little Rock. Since the mem- 
bers from the extreme northwest of Arkansas could not 
reach Arkansas Post in less than two weeks of hard and 
dangerous travel, they insisted on a more central loca- 
tion for the capital. Robert Crittenden, Henry Conway, 
and others encouraged the movement, claiming that the 
present site of Little Rock was the most suitable place in 
the Territory for its capital. 

There was no capitol building at Arkansas Post ; so 
little trouble was experienced in securing the passage of 
the bill to remove the government to Little Rock. The 
new site contained scarcely a building; but as it was near 
the center of the Territory and on the Arkansas River, 
it gave promise of becoming a business as well as a politi- 
cal center. A ledge of rocks projected into the river at 
this point, and the place was named Little Rock, to dis- 
tinguish it from Big Rock, a larger cliff two or three 

miles up the river. This was in 1820, and very soon a 
thriving village sprang up at the capital. 

For ten years Mr. Crittenden faithfully served the 

Territory as secretary, being much of the time also act- 



ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 



85 



ing governor. The fact is, he was the greatest power in 
the government of Arkansas during the first ten years of 
her history. In 1829, he retired from office and began 
the practice of law. He was a brilliant lawyer, and his 




BIG ROCK AND FORT ROOTS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE 
ARKANSAS RIVER. 



fame extended far beyond the borders of the Territory. 
He was often employed in important cases in other 
states. 

It was in 1834, while Mr. Crittenden was arguing a 
case in Vicksburg, Mississippi, that death struck him 
down, still in the prime of life, only thirty-seven years 
old. He liad just finished one of his most eloquent and 
masterful arguments of seven hours' length and had 
sat down exhausted, when the judge called upon him to 
state again his authorities. But he could not speak. He 
attempted to rise, staggered, and fell. In the arms of 



86 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



brothers at the bar he was borne out of the court-room 
to his hotel. There, far from wife and family, this first 
great statesman of Arkansas passed away. His was an 
untimely death. He was cut off in the midst of great 
labors, while a brilliant future lay before him. 




ARKANSAS IN 1828. 

]\Ir. Crittenden possessed a bright mind, equal to that 
of any of the early Arkansans. Those who knew both 
persons said that he was an abler man than his celebrated 
brother, John J. Crittenden, who was one of the nation's 
most noted statesmen from 1820 to 1861. Mr. Robert 
Crittenden was a large man, handsome in appearance, at- 



ROBERT CRITTENDEN. 87 

tractive in manners, and princely in bearing. He was 
magnetic and had a sparkling, penetrating eye. Judge 
Turner, one of Arkansas' strongest lawyers, said of him, 
''As an orator, he had no equal in the Territory; and, in 
the judgment of the writer, he has had no equal here since 
his day." He was noble and generous : he despised fraud 
and hated dishonor; he did not know fear. The year 
before his death he found Albert Pike, Arkansas' scholar 
and poet, teaching a country school in Pope County. 
He recognized the talent of the young man and at once 
secured for him the place of assistant editor of the 
Advocate, a paper published at Little Rock. Thus one 
of the last acts of this noble man's life was to start an 
obscure but talented youth upon what was to become a 
remarkable career. 



Test Questions. 

What is the difference between a state government and a 
territorial government? Between the Federal government and 
a state government? What is the capital of the nation? 
When was Arkansas given territorial government? Com- 
pare our present legislature with the first in the Terri- 
tory. What laws did the first legislature pass? What are 
the duties of the auditor of a territory? of the treasurer? 
How did the salaries of these officers compare with the salaries 
of the same officers today? Why this difference? What is 
the difference between a territory of the first and one of the 
second grade? 

Give an account of the early life of Robert Crittenden. Has 
war any educational value? What position did he hold in the 



88 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

government of Arkansas? What were his duties? What diffi- 
culties we're in his way? How did he meet them? How old 
was he? What was the work of the second legislature? Why- 
was the capital moved to Little Rock? Compare the Little 
Rock of 1820 and of 1900. Why has it grown to a city? When 
was Arkansas Post founded? Why had it not grown more? 
How long was Mr. Crittenden in the public service of Arkan- 
sas? Sum up his work for the Territory. 



Map Questions. 

Mai) of Indian Cessions, p. 59. — What part of Arkansas was 
occupied in 1819 by the Quapaw Indians? by the Cherokees? 
Map of the United States. — Locate Vicksburg. 



CHAPTER X. 

JAMES MILLER. 

Arkansas' First Governor. 

1776-1851. 

The territorial government had been organized and 
set in motion by Mr. Crittenden several months before 
the arrival of Governor Miller ; and, therefore, Mr. Crit- 
tenden is looked upon as the real governor of Arkansas 
during the first few years of her history. James IMiller, 
actually her first governor, is thought of rather as the 
hero of Lundy's Lane. 

It was in this battle that he had given the modest 
answer and dene the daring deed that have been a motto 
and an example for every boy in the land. The com- 
manding officer pointing to a British battery on a height 
overlooking the field had asked Colonel Miller if he could 
take it. "I'll try, sir," was his reply. Cautiously and 
steadily he marched his men up the heights, almost to 
the enemy's guns; then, by an impetuous charge and a 
desperate struggle, he dislodged the enemy, seized the 
battery, and planted there the American flag. 



90 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



It was five years later, December, 1819, that Colonel 
Miller came to Arkansas Post as the first governor of the 
Territory. An eye-witness thus pictured the scene : ' ' The 
day after our arrival at the Post, General James Miller, 
the hero of Lundy's Lane and of Fort Erie, * * * 

arrived at that place to 
enter upon the discharge 
of the duties of said office. 
He came up the river in 
a* splendidly fitted-up 
barge, with a large and 
well-finished cabin, hav- 
ing most of the conven- 
iences of modern steam- 
boats. This boat had been 
fitted up, manned and 
furnished by the United 
States government ex- 
pressly for his use. On 
the after-part of the 
cabin, on both sides, her 
name, Arhansaw, was in- 
scribed in large gilt letters. She had a tall mast, 
from which floated a magnificent national banner, with 
the word Arhansaw in large letters in the center, and the 
Avords, 'I'll try sir,' the motto of the regiment he com- 
manded at Lundy's Lane, interspersed in several places." 




JAMES MILLER. 



,JAMES MILLER. 



91 



Governor Miller remained in Arkansas until 182-i, 
when he returned to New Hampshire, the state of his 
birth. He was absent from Arkansas much of his term. 
Because he did not like the situation of Little Rock, he 
made his home at Crystal Hill, fifteen miles above, to 
which he tried in vain to have the capital moved. After 
leaving Arkansas, Governor Miller was appointed col- 
lector of the port of Salem, Massachusetts, where he re- 
mained till his death. 

When Governor IMiller came to Arkansas, there were 
many settlements scattered over the Territory, but sepa- 
rated by long stretches of wild forest. Helena, Pine 
Bluff, Benton, Cadron, Davidsonville, Fort Smith, Hot 
Springs, Biscoeville, Crystal Hill, and Little Rock were 




A PIONEER VILLAGE IN A CLEARING. 



fast growing into towns. Beyond these villages, bold pio- 
neers had built lonely cabins at points far apart through- 



92 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

out the Territory. Some of these immigrants had been 
soldiers in the AVar of 1812. The United States had 
given each soldier in that War a certificate that entitled 
him to one hundred and sixty acres of the public lands. 
Many of these tracts were located in Arkansas. 

Other tracts were taken up by sufferers from the 
earthquake of 1811. The government allowed these 
people as much land as they had lost by this earthquake. 
The shock occurred at New Madrid, Missouri, on the 
Mississippi Kiver, and was one of the most violent known. 
The whole country from the Ohio River to the St. Francis 
in Arkansas was disturbed. Houses were thrown down, 
trees were split and lashed together, the earth was sunk, 
lakes were formed, great strips of land were plunged into 
the Mississippi, and deep fissures were made in the earth. 
The Sunk Lands of northeast Arkansas were caused by 
this earthquake. Fortunately, few people lived in that 
section of Arkansas in 1811, and the loss of life was 
therefore small. 

These early settlers had for many years but little con- 
nection with the outer world. In 1817 two post-offices 
were established; one at Davidsonville in northeast Ar- 
kansas, the other at Arkansas Post. These two post- 
offices served the district from St. Louis to Monroe, 
Louisiana, and had a monthly delivery. Under these 
circumstances it is a matter of no surprise that the people 
were ignorant concerning the general news of the day. 



JAMES MILLER. 



93 



As an illustration of this ignorance, there is the amusing 
story of Major Jacob Pyeatt, formerly an officer in the 
Revolutionary War. 

In 1807 ]\Iajor Pyeatt and several families from 
Georgia and East Tennessee came west to our newly 
acquired territory. They brought with them tools, horses, 
cattle, their household goods and servants. The journey 
was made by land and over some of the roughest country 
ever traveled by a pioneer. Through the aid of the 







nONERRS rUSIlING ON TO THE WEST. 



Chickasaw Indians, they crossed the Mississippi in canoes 
and made their stock swim the river. The party followed 
an Indian trail to Batesville and then turned south- 
west, coming to the Arkansas River at a point which they 
named Crystal Hill. Later they moved to the mouth of 
the Cadron, now in Conway County. 



94 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

In 1815 the President sent Major Gibson to establish 
military posts along the upper part of the Arkansas 
River. In going to the headwaters of the river, Major 
Gibson stopped at the Cadron settlement, where he 
rested and enjoyed the hospitality of Major Pyeatt. In 
a conversation between the two gentlemen. Major Pyeatt 
asked for news from the States. To his inquiry Major 
Gibson replied that the treaty of peace between the 
United States and Great Britain had been ratified. 

"Peace!" exclaimed the old Major, "What peace? 
I did not know that the United States had been engaged 
in war with Great Britain since the Revolutionary War, ' ' 

Major Gibson then told his astonished host of the War 
of 1812 and of its leading events. 

Test Questions. 

Who was the first governor of Arkansas? In what other 
position was he more famous ? How was he famous? Describe 
Governor Miller's arrival at Arkansas Post. Where did he 
reside? What was the population of the Territory in 1819? 
Name the most important settlements in the Territory at that 
time. Which of these places are important towns now? 
Why? How were men encouraged to settle in Arkansas and 
in other western territories? What event other than the war 
caused settlements in Arkansas? What effects of that earth- 
quake are still to be seen in Arkansas? What were Arkansas' 
means of communication with the rest of the country before 
1819? Tell a story illustrating her condition in this respect. 

Map Questions. 
Map of Arkansas (See also p. 86). — Locate Helena, Pine 



JAMES MILLER. 95 

Bluff, Benton, Cadron, Davidsonville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, 
Biscoeville, Crystal Hill, Little Rock. Where are the Sunk 
Lands? Trace the St. Francis River. Map of the United 
States. — Locate Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, New Hamp- 
shire, New Madrid, St. Louis, Salem (Mass.). Map of Canada. 
— Where is Lundy's Lane? 



CHAPTER XI. 
BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 

Arkansas' First Great Jurist. 
1784-1849. 

In addition to a secretary and a governor for the new 
Territory, the President appointed three judges. The 
Territory was divided into two circuits, to each of which 
one judge was assigned. The third judge assisted first in 
one circuit and then in the other as circumstances re- 
quired. The three together composed the Superior 
Court, which tried all important cases. 

Foremost among the judges appointed by President 
Monroe was Benjamin Johnson. He was Arkansas' 
greatest jurist from the year after the organization of 
the Territory to the middle of the century. He served 
so acceptably under President Monroe that he was reap- 
pointed by President Adams and President Jackson. 
When Arkansas became a state, he was appointed United 
States district judge ; and in this capacity he served until 
his death in 1849. 

Benjamin Johnson was the youngest member of a 



BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 



97 



family of distinguished men. One brother became a 
congressman, judge, and noted preacher; another killed 
the great Indian chief Tecumseh at the battle of the 
River Thames in Canada ; another won distinction in the 
War of 1812 and later became a congressman; and a 
fourth brother was in the lower house of Congress for 
fifteen years, a United States senator for ten years, and 
Vice President of the 
United States for four 
years. 

The father of these 
noted men was a Virgin- 
ian, who, as early as 1779, 
13.ushed his way into the 
wilds of Kentucky, where 
Judge Johnson was born. 
Kentucky was known as 
the "dark and blood}' 
ground," because upon 
its soil there were many 
bloody struggles among 
the Indians themselves, 
and often between the In- 
dians and the early set- 
tlers. The Indians were jealous of the pale faces and 
frequently attempted to get back their hunting grounds. 
Those early pioneers who pushed into the forests and 




BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 



98 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



fields of Kentucky settled in villages in the center of 
which they built a fort with a block-house at every cor- 



*^^£ 




From an old print. 

A FORT OF KENTUCKY PIONEERS IN THE DAYS OF BENJAMIN 
JOHNSON'S BOYHOOD. 

ner. Around the fort the log houses of the settlers were 
grouped. When an Indian attack was threatened, a 



BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 99 

gun was fired as a clanger signal and the people rushed 
into the fort, which the men defended by firing upon 
the savages through port-holes in the block-houses. 
Sometimes the attack was so sudden that no signal could 
be given, and a whole family and even a whole settlement 
w^ould be slaughtered in their homes before they could 
make their way to their fortifications. Such circum- 
stances developed a brave, resourceful, self-sacrificing 
people ; and under such conditions Benjamin Johnson 
grew up. As a boy he was noted for his studiousness, in- 
dustry, and uprightness — traits of character w^hich he 
retained through life. 

When Johnson became one of the judges of Arkansas, 
he showed that he was in every way qualified for that 
great work. In the court-room he was firm, honest, con- 
scientious, and kind-hearted ; but not soft-hearted. He 
indulged in no sickly sentiment about the criminal, but 
inflicted severe punishment if good government and 
justice demanded it. He possessed that fearlessness of 
spirit which is so much needed in dealing with the law- 
less element to be found in every new country. The 
wrong-doer stood in constant dread of him, and his fear- 
less administration of justice developed in the people a 
'wholesome respect for law. 

Judge Johnson's circuit was half of Arkansas, and he 
held court in each county of the district twice a year. 
His courts were seventy or more miles apart, and 

Lore, 



100 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

they could be reached neither by stagecoach nor by rail- 
road. To keep his appointments, he was forced to follow 
Indian trails on horseback, and frequently to swim 
swollen streams. Because of the great distances between 
settlements, he often had to spend a night on the ground 
under the open sky. A pair of saddle-bags contained 
books and clothing for his journeys from court-house to 
court-house — journeys which often kept him away from 
home for two or three months at a time. Today, a cir- 
cuit judge in Arkansas can take a train and reach almost 
any of his courts in one day. On these long journeys 
it was the custom for the lawyers from Little Rock to 
accompany the judge. They formed a regular cavalcade. 
The way was enlivened by stories and jokes, which 
made an otherwise tedious trip a very pleasant one. 
Sometimes as many as a dozen would spend the night at 
a log house and sleep in one room. 

In the winter of 1835-36 Judge Johnson held court at 
the Crawford Old Court-House, twenty-five miles below 
Fort Smith on the Arkansas River. AYith him had come 
Albert Pike and a party from the capital, on the long, 
cold trip up the old military road. Indeed, it was so 
cold that the men had to stop on the way one whole 
day. When they reached a point on the Arkansas River 
opposite the court-house, they had to leave their horses 
and walk across on the ice. A few hours later came an- 
other party of gentlemen from Fayetteville, and they 



BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 



101 



likewise had to cross the river at the same place. In mid- 
stream tlie ice broke under one of tlie number, IMr. Yell, 
and but for a pole which he carried he would have 
drowned. This illustrates the dansj^ers and obstacles 
which pioneers of Arkansas had to endure in traveling; 
l)ut even after having made a long and dangerous jour- 
ney tliey could not alwa^^s get propei' shelter. On this 




From a drawiny made after the rouyh lays had been ivcatherhoarded. 



THE "BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE" AT LITTLE ROCK: SCENE 
or THE MEETINGS OF THE TEIIIIITOKIAL LEGIS- 
LATURE AND THE SUPERIOR COURT. 

occasion Judge Johnson and eighteen law3Trs were com- 
pelled to sleep in one room of the court-house. 

Associated with Judge Johnson on the bench were a 
few men who afterwards became noted. One of these 
was James W. Bates, a brother of Edward Bates, who 
was President Lincoln's attorney-general. In addition 



102 MAKERS OF ARKz\NSAS HISTORY. 

to being a judge of distinction, he was the first to repre- 
sent Arkansas in Congress and was a member of the 
Constitutional Convention of 1886 ; moreover, he was a 
brilliant writer. Other men associated with Judge John- 
son were Archibald Yell, before mentioned, and Andrew 
Scott, both of whom rendered the Territory notable pub- 
lic service as judges and as citizens. 

For awhile the Superior Court was held at Little Rock, 
in the ' ' Baptist Meeting-House, ' ' which at that time was 
a low building made of roughly hewn logs. Contrast 
with the meeting place of the court of that day the pres- 
ent commodious court buildings of the United States at 
Fort Smith and Little Rock, which are well-furnished 
and well-kept, with walls embellished by the busts of dis- 
tinguished judges. 

Since the court-rooms were very simple and rude, 
often amusing incidents would arise. On one occasion, 
while holding court at Little Rock in a house rented from 
Colonel Ashley, Judge Johnson saw the Colonel whittling 
on the railing of the bar. He sharply rebuked Colonel 
Ashley for "cutting up the court-room." To this Colo- 
nel Ashley humorously replied, ''I do not know, may it 
please your honor, who has a better right to cut this 
court-room to pieces than I have ; it is mine. ' ' 

In Little Rock there is an historic mansion that you 
must visit. It occupies half a block at the corner of 
Seventh and Scott streets and is known as the Johnson 



BENJAMIN JOHNSON. 



103 



home, though it was built by Robert Crittenden. In 
1832 it was sold to Judge Johnson, who here spent the 
last days of his life. 

When Judo'e Johnson came to Little Hock in 1(S20, 




JUDGE JOHNSON'S HOME AT LITTU: ROCK. 



the Territory was a wilderness, with scarcely any roads, 
with but two or three post-offices, and with a population 
of only 14,C00 ; when he died in 1849, the State of Ar- 
kansas was in a thriving condition, with countless roads, 
with stagecoaches connecting all important towns, with 
mail delivered at hundreds of post-offices, and with a 
population of 209,897. 

The character of Judge Johnson in private, as Avell 



104 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

as in public, was unimpeachable — a rich legacy for his 
family and for his State. Albert Pike said, "There 
never lived a more honest, upright, honorable or gener- 
ous man than Benjamin Johnson." After the Judge's 
death, tiie reporter of the court wrote this beautiful tes- 
timony in his reports: "He died full of judicial honors, 
beloved by all ; admired for the purity of his public life 
and private character, and for his devotion as a citizen ; 
respected for his unbending integrity and for a heart 
full of kindness to all. He was a safe, patient and able 
judge, and the judicial distinction which he won ex- 
tended far beyond the bounds of the State." 

Test Questions. 

Who was Arkansas' first great jurist? Tell something of 
his family. What was Kentucky called? Why? How did 
the pioneers protect themselves against the Indians? How 
do conditions such as these influence the character of a people? 
Briefly sketch the life of Judge Johnson. How many members 
were there of the Superior Court? How did they receive 
office? Where were the sessions of the Superior Court of Ar- 
kalisas held? Describe the hardships of the early judge. Tell 
the story of the court held at Crawford Old Court-House. 
What tributes were paid to Judge Johnson after his death? 
Compare Arkansas at the time of Judge Johnson's appoint- 
ment with Arkansas at the time of his death. 

Map Questions. 

3Iap of Arkansas. — Where was Crawford Old Court-House? 
Find Little Rock. How far is it from Crawford to Little 
Rock? How would you make the journey? 



CHAPTER XII. 
MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 

1800-1833. 

The early history of Arkansas is adorned with the 
names of many able men. Some came to the Territory 
as government officials ; others, as seekers of fortune or 
fame. Naturally many of them drifted into politics, 
Avhich at that time was of a vigorous type ; and conse- 
quently Arkansas saw 
many hotly contested 
political battles. 
These engendered 
much bitter feeling 
and often brought 
about personal en- 
counters, which were 
usually settled by 
duels. 

The duel was re- end of a duel in the early 

. DAYS OF THE TERRITORY. 

sorted to chiefly as a 

means of avenging a fancied or an actual wrong. Duel- 
ing had alwaj^s been a part of the code of honor of our 




106 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

fathers. They could not tell you when or why it came 
to be, for duels are almost as old as time itself. Homer 
speaks of them ; and they were known to the Hebrews, 
the Arabs, and other ancient peoples. They were per- 
haps most common in France, the country from which 
came the ancestors of some of our eminent men. 

Of several noted duels which had their origin at Little 
Rock, one was the outcome of so slight a thing as a social 
game of cards. The players were two of Little Rock's 
most attractive young ladies and two of Arkansas' high- 
est officials. The game was played one evening in May, 
1824, at the home of one of the young ladies. The gentle- 
men, Andrew Scott and Joseph Seldon, were cultured 
and promising young lawyers of good Virginia families 
and had recently been appointed judges of the Superior 
Court of Arkansas,' the highest court in the Territory, 

In the midst of the play one of the ladies. Judge Scott's 
partner, jokingly said, "Judge Seldon, w^e have the 
tricks and the honors on you. ' ' 

To this the Judge warmly replied, "That is not so, 
madam." 

The lady lifted her handkerchief to conceal her tears, 
saying, "I did not expect to be insulted." 

Judge Scott was a man with a high sense of honor, and 
he turned to Judge Seldon and said haughtily, "Sir, 
you have insulted a lady, and my partner, and you must 
apologize for your rudeness." 



MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEiR SHOULDERS. 



107 



Judge Seldon declined to do so. He insisted that the 
lady had said what was not true, and that he had merely 
told her that fact. Both were high-spirited men, and 
they thought that honor was involved. As neither party 
would yield, Judge Scott challenged Judge Seldon to a 
duel. The challenge was promptly accepted, and the two 




THE QUARREL AT THE CARD TABLE. 

distinguished men met just across the ^lississippi River 
opposite the mouth of White River. There, on the bank 
of the Father of Waters, just as the sun was rising, these 
two highest officers of the law violated the law which 
they had sworn to enforce. Two pistol shots broke 
the silence of the morning; and when the smoke 



108 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

cleared away, Judge Seldon lay dying in his blood. 

Two other duels, noted because of the prominence of 
the opponents, grew out of a political campaign. The 
year 1827 witnessed one of the most heated political bat- 
tles in the history of Arkansas. The Territory was enti- 
tled to one representative in Congress. The Whigs put 
forward Robert C. Oden as their candidate, and the 
Democrats nominated Henry W. Conway.' The leader 
of the Whigs was Robert Crittenden, and the leader of 
the Democrats was Mr. Conway. So thoroughly did 
these two men dominate their respective parties that 
the Whigs were frequently called the Crittenden party 
and the Democrats, the Conway party. So the real fight 
was between Crittenden and Conway; and it was in- 
deed a struggle between giants. Every inch of the 
ground was stubbornly fought over, and much bitter 
feeling was engendered on both sides. Each had strong 
partisans, and each made spirited attacks against the 
other in the papers, on the platform, and elsewhere. 

One day, on the streets of Little Rock, A. II. Sevier, 
who afterwards represented Arkansas in Congress, said 
some hard things about Mr. Crittenden. Colonel T. C. 
Newton, a strong partisan of Mr. Crittenden, overheard 
the remark and said to Mr. Sevier, "Perhaps you are not 
aware that Mr. Crittenden is not present." 

To this Mr. Sevier sarcastically replied, "Perhaps he 
has some friend present to represent him." 



MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. 109 

"Indeed he has, sir, and you will soon hear from 
him," was 'Mv. Newton's sharp reply. 

The challenge was given, and these two rising law^^rs 
met in the Cherokee country at Point Remove on the 
Arkansas River, near where Morrillton now stands. The 
first fire did no harm; and before the second was given, 
one of the attending physicians stepped between the 
two men and insisted that the affair go no further. The 
seconds and the physician consulted and decided that 
the demands of honor had been satisfied and that the 
quarrel should end. One of the seconds announced this 
to the principals and directed them to drop their pistols, 
march forward, and shake hands. This was done, and 
the two men became lifelong friends. 

The second duel was between the leaders themselves, 
Mr. Conway and ]\Ir. Crittenden. They were the most 
brilliant as well as the most distinguished public men in 
the Territory. Mr. Conway had served two terms in 
Congress and was seeking reelection ; Mr. Crittenden 
had served as secretary of Arkansas since her organiza- 
tion as a Territory. Unfortunately, they allowed their 
political contest to degenerate into a personal quarrel. 
Each bitterly attacked the other; and finally, on the re- 
election of Mr. Conway to a third term in Congress, Mr. 
Crittenden challenged him to a duel. They met on the 
fateful ground on wliich Judge Seldon had fallen three 
years before. 



110 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

It has often been said that some men can be cool under 
any circumstances, and of such men Mr. Crittenden was 
an example; for on arriving on the dueling field about 
daylight, he threw himself on his blanket and in a few 
minutes was asleep. He did not awake until all arrange- 
ments had been made by the seconds for the duel. 
Then he took his position where his second designated 
and awaited the signal "Fire!" At the first shot Mr. 
Conway fell, mortally wounded; and after lingering a 
few weeks, he died. 

Six years later, IMr. Crittenden and Mr. Sevier were 
rival candidates for Congress. The campaign was very 
hot and bitter ; and after Mr. Sevier had won, a member 
of Mr. Crittenden's party challenged him to a duel. 
But this time Mr. Sevier would not accept. In these 
days to refuse to fight a duel usually stamped a man a 
coward. Mr. Sevier had shown that he had the physical 
courage to fight a duel ; now he showed also that he had 
the moral courage to decline to do so when he was con- 
vinced that dueling was wrong. This act, coming as it 
did, from a man much respected by the people, was a 
severe blow to dueling. It helped to arouse public senti- 
ment against the evil, so that after the year 1833 dueling 
was practiced less and less in Arkansas. 

These are but a few of the many duels which make 
a dark page in our history. A false code of honor blasted 
many bright hopes and cut short man^ useful lives. But 



MEN WITH CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS. Ill 

we should not be too severe in critieising these duelists, 
for they were honorable men who insisted on the highest 
standards of gentlemanly conduct, according to the cus- 
toms of their own time. 



Test Questions. 

What is meant by dueling? Tell the story of the duel be- 
tween Judge Scott and Judge Seldon. Was Judge Seldon 
wrong in his manner of answering Judge Scott's partner? 
In what other way could the difficulty have been honorably 
settled? Tell the story of the duei between Mr. Sevier and 
Mr. Newton. Who was in the wrong? How might it have 
been settled without a duel? When one insults or wrongs 
another, what does honor require him to do? Tell the story 
of the duel between Mr. Crittenden and Mr. Conway. When 
and how did people begin to see that dueling was wrong? What 
evil results came of dueling? Why do we not have duels now? 
Are we less brave than our fathers? What method do the 
foremost nations advocate for settling their disputes? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Where is Virginia? What place 
Is located in the state of Mississippi nearest to the point oppo- 
site the mouth of the White River? Map of Arkansas.- — Locate 
the site of Point Remove. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 

Arkansas' First Editor. 
1795-1885. 

On October 30th, 1819, many of the people of the quiet 
little village of Arkansas Post were excited over the arri- 
val of a young man at the landing on the Arkansas River. 
The cause of the excitement was the peculiar kind of 
conveyance in which the newcomer made his appear- 
ance. It consisted of two dug-outs, or pirogues 
(pi-rogs'), lashed together, freighted with a small print- 
ing-press and its outfit. Two boatmen had helped 
the young man to eordelle his transport through the 
"Cut-off" from Montgomery Point, a landing forty 
miles below on the Mississippi, at the mouth of AYhite 
River. 

This young Easterner was from New York. He was 
small, but strongly built and rather striking in appear- 
ance, with a high, broad forehead, black hair, and dark, 
penetrating eyes. Every feature showed that he pos- 
sessed a resolute character with a noble purpose. 



WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 



113 



This young man was William E. Woodruff. He was 
born on Long Island, New York, in 1795. His educa.- 
tional advantages were meager, for he had received only 




WILLIAM WOODRUFF ENTERINO ARKANSAS. 

one winter's schooling. However, he was a lover of 
books, and had educated himself by devoting his spare 
time to reading. His life story shows that, after all, the 
difference in people depends largely on the way in which 



114 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

they spend their leisure moments ; and that, if one forms 
the habit of reading good books, he may to a great ex- 
tent educate himself. To help in his education and to 
stimulate him to read such books, young Woodruff was 
fortunate in having a well educated mother. 

When Woodruff was fourteen years of age, his mother, 
fearing that he might become a sailor, apprenticed him 
to a printer in New York City. He became so efficient 
and trustworthy that he was often left with the entire 
management of the business. He soon came to love his 
trade, but he was not satisfied with New York. The 
West strongly appealed to him, as it did to many of the 
Eastern boys in the early part of the last century. The 
stories of its boundless wealth, its fertile soil, its great 
rivers, its vast plains and forests, its wild animals and 
wilder men, had a mysterious charm for the young peo- 
ple of old settled communities. They were seized with a 
longing to ''go west and grow up with the country," as 
Mr. Grreeley later advised them to do. 

After learning the printer's trade. Woodruff, like Ben- 
jamin Franklin, set out friendless and almost penniless, 
to seek his fortune. At Wheeling, West Virginia, he 
bought a skiff, and with a single companion rowed down 
the Ohio to Louisville ; not finding here what he wanted, 
the plucky boy walked across the state of Kentucky to 
Russellville. Again disappointed but undaunted, he 
resumed his journey, walking all the way to Nashville, 



WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 115 

Tennessee, where he found temporary employment in a 
printing-office. 

But he was not content to w^ork for others ; he wanted 
a printing-office of his own. He thought of locating in 
Louisville or Nashville ; but he could not find a satisfac- 
tory opening, so he came farther west. For some time 
he considered St. Louis, already a flourishing town in 
the territory of Missouri ; and then he thought of Arkan- 
sas which had just become a territory. Finally he tossed 
up a dollar to decide the matter. As fortune would have 
it, Arkansas won. Thereupon he bought a small print- 
ing-press and outfit at Nashville, Tennessee, and loading 
this on a keel-boat, went down the Cumberland to the 
Ohio River, and thence down the Mississippi River until 
he reached Montgomery Point. In the journey from 
Nashville to Arkansas Post, three months had passed by. 
But not even with the completion of this long trip did 
Woodruff's difficulties end; for on landing, he could 
find no house to rent and had to build one. When it 
was finished, it was only a rough little cabin ; but he put 
in his printing-press and began to publish a newspaper. 
He did all the work himself; or, in other words, he was 
at once editor, typesetter, pressman, and ''printer's 
devil." In one room he had his bed, type-cases, and 
editor's table; and in an adjoining room, his printing- 
press. And there, less than a month after he landed, he 
issued the first number of the Arkansas Gazette, 



116 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



This seemed a foolish thing to do — to publish a news- 
paper; for no one could see who were to be the sub- 




Frum a phQioyi aitU. 

HEADLINES OF THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE "ARKANSAS 

GAZETTE." 

scribers. The population of the village was perhaps one 
hundred, while that of the whole territory of Arkansas 
was only fourteen thousand. To add to his difficulties, 
Arkansas had at this time but one mail route and two 
post-offices. 

Under these conditions the prospects for a thriving 
newspaper business were very discouraging, but young 
AVoodruff was not the man to be disheartened by unfa- 
vorable circumstances. On the other hand, such con- 
ditions only stimulated him to greater endeavor; and he 
had determination enough to keep at work, believing that 
there would be a time when his business would pay. His 



WILLIzVM E. WOODRUFF. 



117 



far-seeing eye looked to the future, when, in place of a 
wilderness, Arkansas would be a great state ; and when, 
in place of a small weekly, he might publish a large 
daily. The first number of the Arkansas Gazette — a 
single sheet, twelve inches square — was issued on the 
20th of Novem- 
ber, 18] 9; and the 
paper is still pub- 
lished — a ten- 
page daily, the 
largest in the 
State, and the old- 
est living paper 
west of the ^Tis- 
sissippi. 

Though its be- 
ginning was so 
humble, the Ga- 
zette came to be a 
strong and influ- 
ential journal. 
Through its col- 
umns an incen- 
tive was given to all movements looking to the upbuilding 
of Arkansas ; and thus a sound public opinion was formed, 
and the people were enlightened and furnished with new^ 
hopes and higher ideals. In the early days there was 




WILLIAM E. W^OODRUFF, FOUNDER OF 
THE "ARKANS.\S GAZETTE." 



118 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



much bloodshed in Arkansas; but perhaps lawlessness 
did not exist here to any greater extent than in other 
territories in pioneer days, though, for a while, the Ter- 
ritory got a bad reputation abroad. Woodruff threw the 



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A MODERN LINOTYPE MACHINE FOR TYPE-SETTING. 

influence of the Gazelle on the side of law, and by con- 
stantly striving to advance the highest interests of the 
people, built up in the citizens a desire to be law-abiding. 
The reputation of his paper spread beyond our bor- 
ders. Three years after it was established, Niles' Regisler. 



WILLIAM E. WOODRUFF. 119 

a noted journal of the East, said that the Arkansas 
Gazette was the best conducted paper west of the Mis- 
sissippi. In 1821, Mr. Woodruff followed the capital 
from Arkansas Post to Little Rock; and ever since, ex- 
cept for a short time during the Civil War, the Gazette 
has been published at Little Rock. 

It was eleven years before another paper was founded 
in Arkansas. In 1830 the Advocate, a Whig paper, was 
established at Little Rock under the editorship of Charles 
P. Bertrand, who had served as apprentice to Mr. Wood- 
ruff. In a few years the Advocate passed into the hands 
of Albert Pike, one of the most brilliant writers of the 
day. 

From time to time other newspapers, though many 
were short-lived, were established at such centers as Lit- 
tle Rock, Helena, Batesville, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, 
and Camden.* 

Test Questions. 

Why was William E. Woodruff important in the history of 
Arkansas? Give a sketch of his life before he came to Arkan- 



*An ably edited paper was the Washington Telegraph, pub- 
lished at Washington in Hempstead County. It was the only 
paper in Arkansas that continued publication all through the 
War. Its editor during that trying period was John R. Eakin. 
The Telegraph still lives and is one among the few old papers 
of the State. After the War, papers sprang up all over the 
State, the Arkansas Democrat being the most important. At 
the present time (1905) ihere are about three hundred papers 
published in Arkansas, of which twenty-five are dailies. 



120 MAKERS OF ARKANSxVS HISTORY. 

sas. Which is better for a youth, poverty or wealth? Why? 
Describe Woodruff's first appearance in Arkansas. What was 
his ambition? What were the conditions in Arkansas for 
such a business? What is a pirogue? Describe the founding 
of his paper. What was its name? the date of its first issue? 
What can you say of its history? What did it do for the State? 
Name some other papers started in Arkansas in the early 
days. Which of these papers still exist? How many papers 
are published in the State now? How many dailies? Name 
the more important papers of the State. 

Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Locate Long Island (N. Y.), 
Wheeling (W. Va.), Louisville (Ky.), Nashville (Tenn.). Map 
of Arkansas. — Locate Russellville, Montgomery Point, Helena, 
Camden, Batesville, Fayetteville, Washington, Fort Smith, the 
"Cut-off." 



CHAPTER XIV. 
JOHN POPE. 

1770-1844. 

Arkansas is much indebted to the older states for the 
strong men who in her infancy took the lead in Church 
and State. Kentucky sent Robert Crittenden, who, as 
the first secretary of the Territory, did so much for the 
development of Arkansas; Benjamin Johnson, her first 
great judge ; and John Pope, one of her early governors. 
Far away New Hampshire sent her first governor, James 
Miller. From Tennessee came A. H. Sevier, one of Ar- 
kansas' first congressmen; from Missouri, two of her 
governors, James S. and Elias Conway; from Massa- 
chusetts, Albert Pike, her poet ; from Pennsylvania, Rev. 
J. W. Moore, the father of Presbyterianism in Arkansas, 
and Dr. Andrew Hunter, the great pioneer Methodist 
preacher. These early leaders in Arkansas were, as a 
rule, members of distinguished families in other states. 

John Pope was a cousin of George Washington ; and 
like his distinguished kinsman, he was born in AVest- 
moreland County, Virginia. His parents gave him a col- 
lege education, sending him to William and Mary Col- 



122 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



lege at AVilliamsburg, Virginia. When a young man he 
moved to Kentucky, where he became prominent in law 




THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY, WILLIAMSBURG, VA., 
WHERE JOHN POPE WAS EDUCATED. 

and polities. First he served in the legislature, and later 
he represented Kentucky in the United States Senate, 
being a colleague of the great Henry Clay. Some years 
before Pope was elected senator, he had opposed Clay 
for the House of Representatives and, after a remarkable 
contest, had been defeated. 

It is interesting to note how Pope came to be governor 
of Arkansas. In 1828 John Q. Adams and General Jack- 
son were candidates for the Presidency. President 
Adams and Pope belonged to the same political party; 
and they were connected by marriage, their wives being 
sisters. Notwithstanding these facts. Pope was such an 



JOHN POPE. 



123 



admirer of General Jackson that he supported him in 
preference to Adams. Jackson was successful in the 
contest and, on becoming President, appointed Pope 
governor of the territory of Arkansas. 

For six years Pope held the reins of government in 
Arkansas, and during his administration the capitol 
building at Little Rock was begun and partly completed. 
Prior to this, Arkansas had been too poor to build a 
state house, and her legislature had met during most of 
the territorial period in a small and poorly furnished, 




THE IIENDERLITER PLACE AT LITTLE RUCK: SCENE OF 
MEETING OF THE LAST TERRITORIAL LEGIS- 
LATURE, OCTOBER, 1835. 



leaky frame building. The first day of the session of 
1829 was rainy, and it is said that the members got thor- 
ouo-hlv wet before Judo^e Cross could administer the oath 



124 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

of office. The territorial officials had their offices either 
at their residences or at the back end of stores. At times 
the ''Baptist Old Meeting House" was used for the ses- 
sions of the territorial legislature. 

Through the efforts of A. -H. Sevier, the member of 
Congress from Arkansas, the United States Government 
in 1831 donated to Arkansas ten sections of the public 
land v;ith which to build a state house. As soon as this was 
done, the legislature met to perfect plans for the erection 
or purchase of a suitable building. The need of one was so 
urgent that it was suggested to secure for the capitol the 
residence of Mr. Crittenden. His house was the largest 
and handsomest in the city, and had just been built. The 
suggestion was a popular one, and in a short time the 
legislature passed a bill providing for the purchase of 
this home. All were rejoicing over the prospect of a 
new^ state house, when, to the utter surprise of the legisla- 
ture, Governor Pope vetoed the bill. This action w^as 
so unexpected to both the legislature and the people of 
Arkansas that it came like a thunderbolt and created 
much excitement. The members of the legislature and 
the officers of the Territory felt that they had done with- 
out a state house long enough, and they w^ere greatly 
angered. To think that a governor, a new man in Ar- 
kansas, should defeat their plans ! 

But Governor Pope's position was right. He had 
vetoed the bill, as he told the legislature, because Mr. 



JOHN POPE. 125 

Crittenden's house was not worth the ten sections of land, 
and because in a few years it would not be large enough 
to serve the purposes of the growing Territory which 
would soon be a state. His explanation, however, did not 
satisfy the people, and they tried to get President Jack- 
son to remove him. But again they were disappointed, 
for the President and Congress had more faith in Gov- 
ernor Pope than in the legislature of Arkansas. Instead 
of removing him. Congress passed an act taking the land 
and the building of the capitol out of the hands of the 
legislature, and placing the whole matter in the hands 
of Governor Pope. This was a high compliment to the 
Governor, and the result showed that Congress had 
acted wisely. 

In a short while Governor Pope sold the lands, from 
the sale of which he realized $31,722.00. At about the 
same time ]\Ir. Crittenden's home was sold for only 
$6,700.00; so the policy of the Governor had saved the 
Territory $25,022.00 and had prevented the purchase of 
a house wholly unsuited for state purposes. He selected 
the present site of the old capitol as the most desirable 
location. Objection was offered that the place was an 
old Indian burying ground. To this the Governor hu- 
morously replied, "We will build a monument to their 
memory." Through his exertions, work was quickly 
begun on the new building and was enthusiastically 
pushed during his term. However, the capitol was not 



126 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



finished until 1840, five years after he had retired from 
office ; but to him belongs the honor of having built the 
first state house, which for its day was an imposing struc- 
ture and a credit to Arkansas. Now (1905) it is old and 
unsafe, and the state is erecting a magnificent building 
to take its place. 




ARKANSAS' FIRST STATE HOUSE, BEGUN UNDER GOVERNOR 

POPE, 1833. 

At the expiration of his term, Governor Pope went 
back to Kentucky. On his return to that state his many 
friends felt that a man of such ability could not be 
spared from public service; and though he sought no 
office, they elected him a member of Congress. In this as 
in other positions he was faithful. He w^as a noble, true 
man ; and duty was his guiding star. A political oppo- 



JOHN POPE. 127 

nent has paid him this beautiful tribute: ''Politically, 
we are opposed to Governor Pope, but personally we 
esteem him on the score of every good quality that can 
possibly recommend a human being. To the noble gen- 
erosity^ of his heart and the highest integrity, is added 
a mind profound, capacious, and discriminating. From 
our knowledge of his character, we conclude that his 
generous and manly nature is incapable of doing injus- 
tice to any one. ' ' 



Test Questions. 

In what respect is the biographical history of Arkansas dif- 
ferent from that of Eastern states? Name some noted men in 
our early history and the states from which they came. How 
did John Pope become governor? Sketch his career before 
his appointment. What event especially marks Governor 
Pope's administration? What had the Territory previously 
done for a state house? Tell the story of the building of the 
State capitol. In this controversy, which was right — Governor 
Pope or the legislature? Sketch the career of Governor Pope 
after the expiration of his term. What was the character of 
Governor Pope? What should be the guiding star of every 
public official? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Locate Virginia, Kentucky, New 
Hampshire, Tennessee, Missouri, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania. 
What route would you take from Virginia to Kentucky, if 
there were no railroads? From Kentucky to Arkansas? How 
far is it from Virginia to Arkansas? 



CHAPTEE XV. 
AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 

1801-1848. 

Ambrose H. Sevier, of whom you read in an earlier 
chapter, was a descendant of a noble French Huguenot 
family named Xavier. In their beloved France, the 
Xaviers had fought bravely for religious liberty; and 
when their cause was lost, they came to America that 
they might enjoy here what their native country denied 
them. When Washington wanted troops to fight for 
our country, no braver soldiers rallied to his standard 
than the Seviers. Having fought heroically in their 
native land for religious freedom, they' now fought with 
equal energy in their adopted country for political free- 
dom. Three of his family were officers in the Revolu- 
tion, one of whom was killed in the battle of King's 
Mountain, South Carolina. 

During the Revolutionary War a branch of the family 
pushed across the Blue Ridge Mountains into the wilds 
of Tennessee. They were bold pioneers: they opened 
fields and planted frontier settlements; and they led 
their neighbors in repelling Indian assaults. They were 



AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 



129 



the ablest leaders that Tennessee had in organizing and 
establishing her government. In recognition of the serv- 
ices of John Sevier, the people of East Tennessee erected 
a monument in the court-house square at Knoxville. On 
the monument is this inscription : 

"Pioneer, soldier, statesman; governor of the state 




INDIANS PLUNDERING CATTLE ON A FRONTIER PLANTATION. 

of Franklin.* Six terms governor of Tennessee. Four 
times elected to Congress; a projector and hero of King's 

* The first settlements in what is now Tennessee were under the 
colonial government of North Carolina. In 1874, some discontented 
settlers of this region withdrew from North Carolina and formed a 
separate government, which they called the State of Franklin. Of 
this, .John Sevier was elected governor. In 1788, this government was 
given up ; for two years following, the district was again under the 
jurisdiction of North Carolina, and in 1796 became the State of 
Tennessee. 



130 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Mountain — thirty-five battles — thirty-five victories. His 
Indian war cry— 'Here they are! Come on, boys. Come 
on!' " 

It was in the midst of these pioneer conditions that 
John Sevier's great-nephew, Ambrose H.Sevier, was born 
and grew to manhood. Thrilling events were occurring 
all about him, and in many of them his relatives were 

leading figures. They 
were fighting the Indians, 
making laws, governing 
the State, and represent- 
ing it in Congress. 

On his mother \s side 
also Mr. Sevier was for- 
tunate. She belonged to 
one of Tennessee's most 
distinguished families, be- 
ing the aunt of the two 
Con ways who afterwards 
became governors of Ar- 
kansas. Young Sevier 
came to Arkansas in 1821. 
He married the daughter 
of Judge Benjamin Johnson and was thus connected 
with two of the most influential families of the Territory, 
the Conways and the Johnsons. 

Mr. Sevier had not been in Arkansas long before he 




AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 



AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 131 

showed the noble qualities of his ancestors. In politics 
he had a remarkably successful career, lie represented 
Pulaski County in the territorial le^^islature from 1823 
to 1827; and when his cousin, Henry W. Conway, was 
killed in a duel with Robert Crittenden in 1827, Mr. 
Sevier resigned as Speaker of the House and was elected 
to Congress in Mr. Conway's place. He represented 
Arkansas in Congress for twenty years in succession. 
For nearly half of that time he was her only representa- 
tive, since Arkansas as a territory was entitled to but 
one. 

Mr. Sevier was a faithful public servant and never 
missed an opportunity to serve his people. It was 
through his efforts that the Territory was allowed to 
elect her own officers, that the United States paid the 
expenses of the legislature, and that Congress made large 
land grants to the Territory for internal improvements 
and for building a state house. For good roads Arkansas 
has never had a great reputation, though her roads to- 
day are model highways compared with those of the 
Territory, which were so badly kept that travel was 
attended with great difficulty. By persistent and tactful 
efforts in Congress, Mr. Sevier secured land grants for 
opening up important roads. Probably no territory 
ever received more favors at the hands of Congress than 
Arkansas, and these Congressional favors were due to 
her able and wide-awake representative. 



132 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



He was anxious that Arkansas should become a state 
as soon as possible, because a state has more rights and 
privileges than a territory. A state helps to elect the 
President ; a territory does not. A state is represented 
in the United States Senate ; a territory is not. A state 
helps to make federal laws ; a territory does not. In order 




From an old print. 

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL, AS IT LOOKED WHEN MR. SEVIER 
W^AS CONGRESSMAN. 

to change from a territory to a state, the people of the 
territory must frame a constitution and ask Congress 
to admit them into the Union. When Congress has ap- 
proved their action, the change is complete and the ter- 
ritory is then a state. 

In 1831 Mr. Sevier began a movement for the admis- 
sion of Arkansas into the Union, as a state ; and he urged 
the matter upon Congress and the people of the Territory 



AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 133 

until his efforts were successful. lie prepared Congress 
for favorable action by keeping before that body the 
growth of the Territory. In Arkansas, newspapers dis- 
cussed the matter, public speakers presented it from the 
platform, and the people in mass meetings passed resolu- 
tions asking for the change. By 1835, the Territory was 
thoroughly aroused. Tliat year the subject was sub- 
mitted to the people ; they voted for statehood and elected 
a convention which framed a constitution in January, 
1836. Mr. Sevier laid this constitution before Congress, 
defeated all opposition, and in June succeeded in passing 
the bill making Arkansas a state. 

The chief opposition to her admission came from those 
Avho objected to slavery. Her population at this time 
was 51,809, of whom 9,838 were negroes. These slaves, 
for the most part, had come in with the settlers from 
states east of the Mississippi. Slave labor w^as profitable 
in raising cotton, for the production of which the soil 
and the climate of the Territory were favorable. The 
opposition to Arkansas was overcome by admitting ]\Iichi- 
gan, a free state, at the same time. Arkansas showed her 
appreciation of ^Tr. Sevier's services by sending him to 
the United States Senate. 

Nothing could better illustrate the isolation of a fron- 
tier state at this period, and the general condition of 
travel and postal service, than this letter home from Mr. 
Sevier's fellow senator and Arkansas' last territorial 



134 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



governor, William S. Fulton. He writes to his wife from 
Washington, in the winter of 1837, and tells her his great 
delight in receiving her letter that has just come by the 
express mail from New Orleans, having left that city 
only six days before. "You may well imagine," he goes 
on to say, "my surprise and astonishment, as well as 




From an old print. 

A SESSION OP THE NATIONAL MOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 
WHEN MR. SEVIER WAS MEMBER FROM ARKANSAS. 

gratification at receiving a letter by such a route in so 
short a time from home. I could well afford to pay the 
postage, seventy-five cents, for such a, letter. I could 
scarcely realize the fact that I had received a letter writ- 
ten by you only twelve days ago, after having been an- 
noyed all winter in not receiving my letters until they 



AMBROSE H. SEVIER. 135 

were forty or fifty days old. AVe have, however, suc- 
ceeded in obtaining so many mail facilities, that here- 
after I hope we will be relieved from this most vexatious 
state of tilings. Our letters will now pass, I hope, in 
from fifteen to twenty days." 

]\rr. Sevier continued to serve Arkansas as a senator 
until 1847, when he resigned to accept an appointment 
by President Polk as minister to IMexico. This was an 
important appointment because the United States at this 
time was closing a war with that country. ]\Ir. Sevier, 
however, did not remain long in Mexico, but the follow- 
ing year resigned and returned to his plantation near 
Pine Bluff. He had not been home long when he fell ill. 
From this illness he never recovered. He died in 1848, 
at the noon-tide of life, rich in honors and in the love of 
the people of his adopted state. The governor, other 
state officials, and the legislature in a body attended his 
funeral. The legislature paid this beautiful tribute to 
his memory: "The name of Ambrose H. Sevier is inti- 
mately identified with the history of Arkansas, and is 
a part of the public treasure of the State ; and .... as 
his generous, liberal, and noble nature endeared him to 
each one, and caused all to lament his death, so his 
eminent talents and distinguished public service will 
make his character a splendid mark for imitation to 
future generations." 

Arkansas honored Mr. Sevier as she has honored no 



136 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



other man. Through the legislature she erected in Mount 

Holly Cemetery in 
Little Rock a fitting 
monument "as a me- 
morial of her grateful 
sense of his public 
services. ' ' We have 
been negligent about 
showing our distin- 
guished citizens prop- 
er respect. We should 
adorn the capitol 
building and grounds 
with tablets and mon- 
uments in keeping 
with the great and 
good deeds of our 

MONUMENT TO AMBROSE H. SEVIER, ablest SOUS. 




Test Questions. 



What positions did Mr. Sevier occupy in the public service 
of Arlvansas? Wliat was his full name? Of what state was 
he native? What can you tell of his ancestors? In what year 
did he come to Arkansas? ^Vhat measures for Arkansas did 
Mr. Sevier introduce in Congress? Which of these was the 
most important? Why? When did ic take effect? How may a 
territory become a state? Name three differences between a 
territory and a state. Why was it difficult to secure state- 



AMBROSE II. SEVIER. 137 

hood for Arkansas? How did Congress meet this difficulty? 
How did Arkansas show her appreciation of Mr. Sevier's ser- 
vices? How long was Mr. Sevier in the service of Arkansas? 
Why did he resign? When did he die? How has Arkansas 
honored his memory? 



CHAPTER XVI. 

DAVID WALKER. 

The Pioneer Lawyer. 

1806-1879. 

With no roads or bridges, and with court-houses a 
hundred miles apart, the pioneer lawyer had many hard- 
ships; for the whole territory was his circuit. He trav- 
eled over it twice a year, going from court to court. The 
lawyers from the different towns went in parties— over 
mountains, through valleys, and across swollen streams; 
but as they made their way, they enlivened the journey 
with stories and jokes. The traditional log cabin of two 
rooms sheltered them at night; or, if by chance darkness 
overtook them miles away from human habitation, they 
camped under a friendly oak. Each man carried in his 
saddle-bags his clothes and part of his law library. 

The following incident, related by Mr. Hallum, gives 
us a glimpse of the pioneer lawyer's life: "The legal 
circuit rider, when he could not ford, had to swim the 
streams in those da3^s. On one occasion General Pike, 
General Royston, and many others stripped to swim a 



DAVID WALKER. 139 

stream in southwest Arkansas. After dismounting, each 
disciple of Blackstone rolled up his clothing and strapped 
it across his shoulders to keep it above the tide. On this 
occasion, General Royston had three hundred dollars in 
bank bills, and for better security he held his pocket-book 
in his mouth. After the horse had advanced some dis- 
tance in the foaming stream, he suddenly stepped off 
a precipitous ledge of rock and baptized the rider. The 
General's mouth, forgetful of the treasure it was charged 
to keep, flew open in an involuntary spasmodic effort to 
expel the water, and the money was lost." 

In many counties there was no court-house. When this 
was the case, the judge held court in the back end of a 
store or in a church building, and at times even in the 
open air. Law was administered largely without books. 
When memory failed, the lawyers fell back upon reason 
and general principles. There were but few jails; the 
ready gun and the leather thong took their place. 

One of our ablest pioneer lawyers was Judge David 
Walker. Again we are indebted to Kentucky for a dis- 
tinguished citizen and judge. Born in 1806, he was 
reared on the frontier of the "dark and bloody ground." 
He had poor educational advantages, but nature had 
blessed him with a sound mind, a strong will, a rugged 
constitution, and great energy. These elements enabled 
him in part to overcome his lack of advantages. 

He loved books, and he allowed no opportunity for 



140 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



study to pass unimproved. While other boys were 
at play, David was at his books; while his neigh- 
bors slept, he worked. This habit of study remained 
with him through life. In the midst of a busy profes- 
sional life he was a close 
student of law, and he be- 
came a master of its prin- 
ciples. 

Soon after he was ad- 
mitted to the bar, he came 
to Arkansas and settled at 
Fayetteville. This was in 
1830. lie steadily rose in 
his profession and soon 
built up an extensive prac- 
tice. He was faithful to 
his clients and studied 
DAVID WALKER. their eases carefully, never 

putting off till tomorrow what he could do today. Albert 
Pike said that Judge AValker was the foremost lawyer 
in northwest Arkansas. 

Once he was arguing a criminal case in the circuit 
court of Searcy Count}-. He was the lawyer for the de- 
fense, and Mr. Alf Wilson of Fayetteville was the prose- 
cuting lawj^er. After the argument of the lawyers, the 
judge sent out the jury to make up their verdict. As 
the court-house was a mere cabin of one room, made of 




DAVID WALKER. 



Ul 



poles, the grand and petit (pet'i) juries had to do their 
work out of doors under the trees, or in a neighboring 
pawpaw thicket. 

In this case the defense seemed to have the advantage. 
While the jury were deliberating, one of the twelve, 
knowing that a certain man at the court, who had not 
been called as a witness, knew the facts in the case, 
slipped away and got the man. When he was brought 




WITNESS ADDRESSING THE JURY OUT OF COURT. 

before the jury, though neither judge nor defendant 
was present, he told the facts ; and his testimony com- 
pletely changed the case and the verdict. Such a pro- 
ceeding was not in keeping with due forms of law ; but 
the jury returned a verdict of guilty. ^Ir. Walker who 



142 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

felt sure of winning the case was astonished at the 
decision. After the court adjourned, Mr. Wilson, to 
whom the juror had communicated the story, told Mr. 
AValker how it had happened. Such were the irregu- 
larities of pioneer courts. 

Mr, Walker was active in politics. He was prosecuting 
attorney for the third judicial circuit (1833-35). He was 
elected to the State senate in 1840 and was one of the 
f ramers of our first State constitution. In 1844, as a can- 
didate of the Whig party, he ran for Congress and con- 
ducted an able campaign against the Democratic candi- 
date, Archibald Yell. But he belonged to the minority 
party and was defeated. Prior to the Civil War, the 
Whigs had some of the ablest men in the State, but 
they were not successful in electing many of them to 
office. 

Without Mr. Walker's knowledge, the legislature in 
1848 elected him judge of the Supreme Court. This was 
a high compliment, especially as the legislature was made 
up largely of Democrats. Judge Walker was president 
of the Secession Convention in 1861 ; and though a Union 
man, he voted for secession after all hope of peace was 
gone. In 1866 he was chosen chief justice, but two years 
later he was driven out of office by a change in the gov- 
ernment. In 1874 he was again elected a member of the 
Supreme Court, a position which he held for four years. 
He died at his home in Fayetteville, in 1879. 



DAVID WALKER. 143 

Test Questions. 

What is a circuit court? a circuit judge? How did lawyers 
travel in early Arkansas? Tell an anecdote of the difficulties 
of travel in those days. What is meant by a "disciple of Black- 
stone"? Where v/as court often held? Describe the court- 
house. Give a sketch of Judge Walker's early life. How did 
Mr. Walker build up his law practice? Tell a story to illustrate 
the operation of the early courts. Could this incident have 
happened today? The reason? Why is it not proper for wit- 
nesses to testify before the jury after they leave the court- 
room? What are "grand" and "petit" juries? What is included 
in the expression politics? What can you tell of Judge 
Walker's political career? What is meant by "prosecuting 
attorney"? On what points were the Whigs and the Democrats 
opposed to each other before the Civil War? Which party was 
the more powerful in Arkansas? Why? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Searcy County. How would you 
go from Little Rock to Searcy County? What is the county 
seat of Searcy? 



CHAPTER XVII. 
ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 

1819-1905. 

In the pioneer days of Arkansas, the same difficulties 
that confronted the farmer and the lawyer were felt 
also by the teacher, and often more keenly. The chil- 
dren on the frontier had poor educational advantages, 
not because our forefathers did not believe in education, 
but because they had no money to establish schools. 
Then, too, the country was sparsely settled, the popu- 
lation as late as 1836 being less than one person to the 
square mile. 

The elementary schools of early Arkansas were mostly 
private schools. The teacher canvassed the community 
with his "articles," as the paper setting forth the terms 
of his school was called, and the people subscribed 
"scholars" at one or more dollars each per month. He 
took part of his pay in "boarding round" among his 
pupils. As there was but little money in the district, 
it was frequently stipulated in his contract that he could 
be paid in meal, pork, sugar, coffee, or other acceptable 



ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 



145 



produce. Often these frontier schools were taught by 
the preacher, wiio was considered an authority on ahnost 
any subject. 

The schoolhouse was built of logs. It had one large 
room with a door at one end and a big fireplace at the 
other. The w^indow was a hole, two or three feet square, 
cut in the side of the wall. A plank pushed between 
two logs of the wall 
served as a desk. The 
benches were made of 
split logs placed on 
wooden pegs. From 
these high seats dan- 
gled the children's 
legs. 

IMany pupils, living 
at a distance, came 
on horseback. Every an old log sciiooijiouse. 

one brought his dinner, and the noon hour was one of 
recreation for both teacher and scholar. The favorite 
game was ball. 

These forest schools, as they are sometimes called, 
seldom attempted to teach more than the three R's — 
"Reading," '"Riting," and " 'Rithmetic." If geography 
were taught, it was confined to the geography of the 
United States. AVebster's ''Blue Back Speller" was the 
all-important text-book, for it served both as reader and 




146 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

speller. Friday afternoon was devoted to recitations 
and spelling matches. The latter were great incentives 
to hard study. The two rows into which the school was 
divided faced each other, the teacher gave out the words, 
and the pupils tried to "turn down" one another. 
Happy indeed was he that "stood up" the longest. Fre- 
quently out of these school contests grew the old-time 
neighborhood spelling-bee, in which the whole country, 
old and young, took part. The people for miles around 
gathered Saturday night at the old schoolhouse. The 
contest began as soon as sides were chosen. Interest 
grew as the lines thinned, excitement ran high, and loud 
indeed was the applause for the victor. The champion 
speller was the hero of the neighborhood. 

Before the war, Arkansas had neither a public high 
school nor a state university. There were private acade- 
mies supported by tuition fees, and the}^ flourished 
in all parts of the State. Thirteen were chartered by 
the legislature in 1859, and nine in January alone, of 
1861. Their principals were usually college graduates; 
and they did a high grade of work, emphasizing culture 
and character-building. Greek, Latin, and mathematics 
were the chief subjects in the course of study. Some 
of these schools established a wide reputation and drew 
students from all sections. They educated many men 
who later played prominent parts in the affairs of the 
State. 



ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 



147 



The leading institutes of this period were St. John's 
College at Little Rock, Cane Hill College in Washing- 
ton County, and Arkansas College at Fayetteville. Of 
these, Arkansas College, under the Presidency of Robert 
Graham, built up the greatest reputation, drawing its 
students from neighboring states as well as from Ar- 




AN UP-TO-DATE SCHOOLHOUSE. 



kansas. All these institutions were forced to close dur- 
ing the Civil AVar, and in 1863 the buildings of Arkansas 
College were burned. 

The State after the War took the lead in both ele- 
mentary and higher education. In 1862 Congress passed 
an act proposing to aid the states in maintaining agri- 



148 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

cultural and mechanical colleges. The legislature of 
Arkansas in 1867 accepted this offer, and in 1872 the 
Arkansas Industrial University was opened at Fayette- 
ville. Besides federal aid, the University receives from 
the legislature biennial appropriations for its main- 
tenance. The University now has fourteen buildings 
besides farm houses. Courses are offered in the arts, 
sciences, agriculture, and engineering. The University 
of Arkansas, the name adopted in 1889, has had a steady 
growth since its foundation. It stands at the head of 
the public school system of the State. 

The churches also have been active in higher educa- 
tion. The Presbyterians since 1872 have maintained the 
Arkansas College at Batesville. In 1884' the Methodists 
established at Altus Central Collegiate Institute, since 
1889 called Hendrix College. It was moved to Conway 
in 1890. Hendrix is the only male college in the State. 
Its growth is largely due to Reverend A. C. IMillar, its 
president from 1887 to 1902. Galloway Female Col- 
lege, founded in 1888 at Searcy, and Henderson College, 
in 1891 at Arkadelphia, also belong to the Methodist 
Church. Quitman College was for many years the 
property of this Church. The Baptists in 1886 opened 
Ouachita College at Arkadelphia, and by devoting to it 
all their efforts for higher'education, developed it into a 
strong coeducational institution. Throughout its history 
the college has been under the able management of John 



ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 



149 



AV. Conger. Central Baptist Female College is now 
controlled by this Church. In 1891 the Arkansas Cum- 
berland College was established at Clarkesville. 

Before the war, the State made several vain efforts to 
provide public schools. The central government at 
Washington had given Arkansas, in common with other 
states, the sixteenth section in every township to be used 




TEABODY HIGH SCHOOL AT LITTLE ROCK. 

for public schools. In 1829 the legislature passed a law 
providing for the leasing of this land, the rents of which 
were to be applied to the support of the public schools. 
But nothing came, of this law. 

Governors Pope, Conway, and Yell were friends of 
education ; and they urged the establishment of public 



150 



MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



schools. In 1843 the legislature provided for a general 
system of public schools. The law authorized the sale 
of school lands and directed that the interest on the fund 
thus raised should be used in maintaining schools. Even 
this plan was not successful. Many who bought land 
never paid for it; besides, the money collected was not 
wisely managed. The result was that the income was 




THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FAYETTE VIL.LE. 

not sufficient for the support of a system of schools. In 
1860 free schools were provided for less than one-fourth 
of the children of the State. 

Since the war, Arkansas has been more successful with 
her public schools. From 1864 to 1868 she was fortunate 
ill having a governor who was a practical educator. 
Governor Murphy had been a teacher in Washington 



ARKANSAS SCHOOLS. 151 

and Carrol counties before the war, and he knew the 
defects of the old law. He recommended the establish- 
ment of a free school system based upon taxation. Be- 
fore this, the State had attempted to maintain her 
schools by an income from school lands alone. CJovernor 
JMurphy stood for the principle that "the property of 
the State should be taxed to educate the children of the 
State.'' 

The school legislation of 1867 is a landmark in the 
educational history of Arkansas, for it established a 
system of public schools to be supported by taxation. 
The State had at last found a solution of the educational 
problem. Since that time the schools have steadily 
grown ; and while the law has been changed from time to 
time, the principle of taxing the wealth of the State to 
maintain the public schools, remains the foundation of 
the system. Besides the elementary schools, there are 
in all the principal towns public high schools. These, 
too, are maintained by taxation and take the place of 
the old academies, though a few private academies still 
exist and are doing: excellent work. 



Test Questions. 

Of what kind were the elementary schools of Arkansas be- 
fore the Civil War? What is the difference between a public 
and a private school? How were the first private schools 
started? How were the teachers paid? Compare the schools 
and the schoolhoiises of today with those of pioneer times. 



152 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

AVhat is meant by "the three R's"? Describe the old-time 
spelling-match. What good did it do? What is the "sixteenth 
section ftfnd"? AVhat is its origin? How did it succeed? 
What can you say about the provisions for education in the 
State immediately before the war? During the war? What 
official of Arkansas was active in improving these conditions? 
Why is 1867 an important date in the history of our schools? 
Before the establishment of high schools, what schools took 
their place? What subjects were taught? Name and lo- 
cate the colleges in Arkansas before the War. When was the 
University of Arkansas established? How is it maintained? 
Why should the State maintain a university? What other col- 
leges are there in the State? How do these differ from those 
before named? Why should boys and girls go to college? 



Map Questions. 

Maj) of Arkansas. — Locate Washington County, Cane Hill, 
Arkadelphia, Searcy, Batesville, Fayetteville, Conway. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
THE PIONEER PREACHER. 

1815-1860. 

Before the advent of the school teacher and the lawyer, 
we had the preacher. This is the history of all new 
countries — the man of God prepares the way. The faith- 
ful minister was found teaching and preaching in differ- 
ent parts of Arkansas, even before our territorial gov- 
ernment was organized. 

Perhaps no one experienced greater hardships than the 
pioneer preacher. His places for holding service were 
fifty or a hundred miles apart and were often scattered 
over a third of the Territory. He would travel three or 
four hundred miles in going the rounds of his circuit. 
There were no roads, so he took with him a compass to 
guide his foot-steps, and a hatchet to mark the way for 
future travelers. Often he spent the night in the woods, 
with his saddle-bags for a pillow and an oak tree for 
shelter. Wild animals and prowling savages were all 
about him, yet he slept, trusting that he would be spared 
for the work he had to do. 

On account of such hardships, as well as on account 



154 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

of Arkansas' reputation, in early clays, for its lawless 
men, it was difficult to get preachers to come here. It 
was common for the bishop of the Methodist Church, 
when he was on his way to hold a conference in Arkan- 
sas, to begin in Tennessee, calling for volunteers for this 
field. In 1831 such a call was made, and eight preach- 
ers responded. They met in Memphis on Christmas Day. 
Finding the swamps on the Arkansas side impassable, 
they bought a cheap flatboat and drifted down the Mis- 
sissippi to Helena, reaching the place after three days' 
travel. From this landing, they went to their respective 
appointments. 

Traveling through the river-bottoms of south and east 
Arkansas was always more hazardous than going over 
the mountains in the northern part of the State. This 
low country was frequently under water, and the 
preacher was compelled to cross swollen streams in a 
skiff or on horseback. AVhen neither skiff nor horse 
could cross, he lashed together with grape-vines two or 
three logs and crossed on them. He had many thrilling 
experiences — some of them, narrow escapes. 

One of these pioneer preachers, the Reverend John 
Harris, tells us that once while traveling through the 
country, he came to a cross-roads grog-shop. Several 
men under the influence of whiskey stopped him and 
asked him to take a drink. When he declined, they in- 
sisted; and finally they told him that he had to drink, 



THE PIONEER PREACHER. 155 

and started to force liim to do so. Not knowing just what 
to do, the good man appealed to their patriotism by say- 
ing, "Gentlemen, this is a free country; you have a right 
to drink if you wish to do so ; and I, a free man, have 
the same right to decline. Now, in the name of our liber- 
ties, in the name of our fathers, who fought for these 
liberties, I entreat you not to force me, a free man, to 
drink against my will." 

Instantly one of the crowd threw off his coat and, 
clinching his fist, said, ''The first man that touches this 
stranger will have me to whip." 

This old soldier's patriotism had been aroused by Mr. 
Harris' reference to American liberty and our Revolu- 
tionary fathers, and he was ready to fight again. 

We should honor the early preacher, whose many deeds 
in organizing and establishing churches were truly 
heroic. Not only did he spread the gospel of peace, but 
he checked lawlessness, taught temperance, and created 
a respect for law. IMany communities owe the culture and 
morality for which they are noted, to the pioneer 
preacher. He was a man of meager knowledge, compared 
with the professional men of today, but, to pioneer 
Westerners, he seemed a man of much learning. 

One of the most potent as well as one of the most 
unique factors in the religious life of those days was the 
camp-meeting. The camp-ground was a shady grove 
near a good spring ; and in it was erected a large shed 



156 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



or arbor, under which the meetings were held. Board 
or log shacks, consisting of two rooms and a passageway 
between, were built in a square around the shed. These 
were for the accommodation of the campers, who for 
fifty miles around would come and spend three or four 
weeks. 




ULD SALEM CAMl' (iROUXD, SALINE COUNTY, WilEUE DR. 
HUNTER DH^ SOME OE HIS GREATEST WORK. 



At these meetings religious fervor ran high, and the 
services occupied the day. There was the prayer-meet- 
ing at sunrise, the semion at eight and eleven in the 
morning and at three and seven in the evening. Dur- 



THE PIONEER PREACHER. 



157 



ing these revivals there were hundreds of conversions. 

The Baptists, the ]\Iethodists, and the Presbyterians 

early gained a foothold here. The Roman Catholics were 

the first to come, settling at Arkansas Post. The first 

sermon at Little Rock was preached in 1820 by Cephas 

AYashburn, a Congregational minister. He was on his 

way to establish a mission school for the Cherokees at 

D wight, near what is now Russell ville. There were then 

only two cabins at Little Rock. 

The father of Presbyterianism in Arkansas was the 
Reverend J. AY. iMoore. He 

was sent as a missionary from 
Pennsylvania and arrived at 
Little Rock in 1828. He or- 
ganized a church at this place, 
the first of his denomination 
in the Territory. He was an 
able minister and exercised 
a strong influence at the cap- 
ital in the early days. He 
preached to the Church for 

. 1 1 41 ^ 1 REVEREND J. W. MOORE. 

twelve years and then round- 
ed Sylvania Academy, nearly thirty miles east of the 
capital. Reverend Moore was a classical scholar, and 
the school under his management gained a wide reputa- 
tion. Other ministers followed and established Presby- 
terian churches at different places in Arkansas. 




158 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

The Baptists reached Arkansas about the same time 
that the Presbyterians came. One of the first church 
buildings in the Territory was the "Baptist Old Meeting- 
House" at Little Rock. As you know, the legislature fre- 
quently held its sessions in this house. It was a log cabin 
built in the third decade of the last century. The brave 
ministers of the Baptist Church pushed their way into 
all places, and throughout our history this denomination 
has been one of the strongest and most useful in the 
State. 

The Methodists established the Spring River Circuit 
in the Northeast as early as 1815, and the Reverend 
Eli Lindsay was put in charge of the work. The 
following year the Hot Springs Circuit, embracing the 
southern half of the Territory, was formed. The first 
Methodist church was built two or three years later in 
Hempstead County. It was a log cabin and was called 
"Henry's Chapel." 

Of the pioneer preachers, the most conspicuous was 
Doctor Andrew Hunter. He was born in Ireland in 
1813 and was brought to Pennsylvania two years later. 
In 1835 he came west and taught a mission school in the 
Choctaw Nation. The following year he was admitted to 
the Arkansas Conference at Batesville, the first annual 
conference of the Methodist Church in Arkansas. For 
sixty years he served his Church in various capacities — 
as pastor, presiding elder, and Bible agent. During this 



THE PIONEER PREACHER. 



159 



time he represented his conference at nearly every gen- 
eral conference of his Church. 

Doctor Hunter was a lart»e-boned, deep-chested, broad- 
shouldered man. He had 
grayish blue eyes and a 
massive head. He was 
very modest, humble, and 
simple ; but he was a pow- 
erful preacher. He influ- 
enced every one, wherever 
he worked ; and so he 
helped to make society 
better. For many years 
he was one of the most 
widely known and best 
loved men in the State. 

At the close of the 




DOCTOR ANDREW HUNTER. 



war he was president of the State senate; and in 1867, 
he was sent to the United States Senate, but was 
not allowed to take his seat, as Congress refused at that 
time to receive representatives from Arkansas. In 
1872, just after the war, the government in the State 
became so unbearable that the conservative people 
cast about for some one that could lead them to victory 
as their candidate for governor. All eyes turned to 
Doctor Hunter, for this "grand old man" had the 
confidence of the entire State. He was conducting a 



160 ' MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

camp-meeting in Bradley County when the news reached 
him. Believing that it was his duty to preach the gospel, 
he sent word to his political friends that he would not 
undertake the race. lie died at Little Rock in 1902, at 
the age of eighty-eight. 



Test Questions. 

Why does the preacher precede the lawyer in new countries? 
Tell of the hardships in the life of a pioneer preacher. Why- 
was it difficult to get ministers to come to Arkansas? Give 
an anecdote to illustrate that phase of frontier life. What 
service did these ministers render the country? 

Describe the camp-ground; the camp-meeting. Why are 
these meetings not common now? What place connected with 
the early Baptist Cnurch is famous in our history? What can 
you tell of the work of Cephas Washburn? Give a sketch 
of the career of the Reverend J. W. Moore; of Doctor Andrew 
Hunter. What other churches are now in the State? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Helena, D wight, Bradley County, 
Hempstead County, Spring River. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 

1836-1860. 

When a new game is introduced at school, all the 
boys and girls wish to try it. They think there is nothing 
like it and enter into it with enthusiasm. The same dis- 
position is seen in men, only it shows itself somewhat 
differently. If a new business yields large profits, every 
one takes stock in it. If a farmer this year makes good 
profits on a crop of potatoes, all the farmers in the 
neighborhood next year will plant potatoes. Sometimes 
the people of a whole state or nation will go wild over 
some proposal or business. It may be free silver, green- 
backs, or banks ; it must be something. A few years ago 
everybody was enthusiastic about free silver ; some years 
before, the whole country was wild over greenbacks ; but 
perhaps the most widespread mania that ever seized the 
American people was the mania for banks. 

AVhen the people from the Atlantic states came west, 
they found fertile soil, excellent timber, navigable 
streams, and a healthful climate, but little money. They 
felt that if only they had money, they could develop the 



162 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



resources of the country and soon become rich. But how 
were they to get money ? To obtain it by hard work was 
'too slow a method. Some one suggested the establish- 
ment of banks. They had been a success in the East; 

why should not they 
be in the A¥est ? Al- 
most with the sugges- 
tion, came a great 
clamor for banks ; and 
soon they were estab- 
lished in all parts of 
the West. There was 
great rejoicing; busi- 
ness became active, 
farms were opened, 
homes were built, rail- 
roads were planned, 
cities were laid out, 
and every one seemed 
prosperous. 

But this wave of 
prosperity receded 
when the banks failed. 
The railroads were not built, and the proposed cities 
never became more than villages; for the people were 
again without money. They were poorer, but much 
wiser. They had learned that the short roads to wealth 




THE STAMP FOR IMPRESSING THE 
STATE SEAL. * 



WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 



163 



are dangerous, and that the old one of rigid economy 
and honest toil is the safest. 

Arkansas tried one of the short roads. In her mad 
rush for fortune, she fell. Her fall was a hard one — 
in fact, so hard that she has not yet entirely recovered 
from its effects. As soon as the State came into the 
Union in 1836, she entered the banking business. Her 
people thought that if one bank would do some good, 
many banks would do more ; so they tried the business 
on a large scale. The legislature provided for one bank 
to be called the State Bank with a capital stock of one 




OLD STATE BANK BUILDING AT LITTLE ROCK. 



million dollars. It was to be located at Little Rock 
with branches at Fayetteville and Batesville. The State 
was to select the officers and manage the bank. Not 
satisfied with this, she wanted another bank; so the 



164 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

legislature created one with a capital stock of two mil- 
lions of dollars, to be know^n as the Real Estate Bank. 
It also had headquarters at Little Rock, with branches at 
Washington, Columbus, and Helena. Though this bank 
was chartered by the State, it was to be controlled by 
private individuals. The main object of creating this 
bank was to supply the people with money by lending it 
to them. Such an arrangement pleased the people, 
money was plentiful, and for awhile business was lively. 
Doubtless you would like to know where and how the 
banks got the money to lend. Arkansas is still a little 
sensitive on this point, but the story must be told. The 
banks had no money, and they could not borrow any; 
the State had no money, but her credit was good, and 
she could borrow all the money needed. So the State 
really borrowed the money for the banks. This she did 
by issuing bonds. Now a bond is a note or a written 
promise to pay with interest the amount named on the 
face of the bond. Arkansas issued three million dollars' 
worth of these notes or bonds. The Governor signed 
them for the State and turned them over to the banks; 
and they in turn sold them to money-lenders in the 
East. In this way the banks got large sums of money. 
In a short time, however, this money was all gone, hav- 
ing been borrowed by the people. Then the banks issued 
paper money, called bank notes, which were mere prom- 
ises to pay the holder their face value. These also they 



WILD-CAT BANKING IN ARKANSAS. 



165 



loaned to the people. But when the interest fell due 
on the State bonds, the banks had no money with which 
to pay. They had let it all out. They called upon the 
people to pay back what they had borrowed; but the 
people could not do this; for they had spent all their 
money. So the banks failed. They went out of business 
and tried to settle their affairs. 













ARKANSAS TREASORY WARRANT 

^iSTA.TE; OF ARKANSAS J, 






WARRANT, OR NOTE, ISSUED BY ARKANSAS DURING THE WAR. 



These were sad days in the history of Arkansas. The 
bank failures caused the ruin of many private fortunes 
and brought suffering: to many innocent people. It took 
years to adjust the business of the banks. The people 
who had borrowed the money either could not or would 
not pay what they owed. The result was that the State 
was left with a big debt on her hands. When she signed 
the bonds, she promised to pay back the principal, or 
face-value of the bonds, and the interest on it ; but it was 
understood at the time that really the banks would pay 



166 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

the indebtedness. How to pay these bonds was the sub- 
ject of discussion in the legislature for many years. The 
State did not pay the debt until a long time after the 
war; and part of the notes called the "Holford bonds'* 
were never paid, because the State claimed that she had 
been wronged. This refusal of the State to pay the 
bonds was called repudiation. Some day you must find 
out just how this was done. This experience taught 
Arkansas a lesson and since that time she has never 
engaged in wild-cat banking. 



Test Questions. 

What is banking? What is meant by "wild-cat" banking? 
Why did the people of Arkansas engage in this business? 
When? What was the immediate effect? Why? Did this 
prosperity continue? Why? What lesson did the people 
learn? What banks were established? What is credit? a 
bond? a bank note? How did the State treat the "Holford 
bonds"? What do we call this action? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Where is Batesville? Washington? 
Columbus? 



CHAPTER XX. 

THE CONWAY FAMILY. 

1793-1892. 

The Conway family is one of the most noted of our 
State. From it Arkansas had a congressman, two gov- 
ernors, a judge of the Supreme Court, and other officers 
of less note. A general in the Revolution, a brother-in- 
law of George Washington, and the mother of President 
Madison were Conways. The family is justly proud of 
its history; for its long line of distinguished members 
spans several centuries in both England and America. 

In England the Conways belonged to the nobility, and 
it is said that they lived in magnificent style in their 
castle on the Conway River, in Wales. England has a 
harsh law by which the eldest son inherits all the prop- 
erty and the titles of his deceased father, with the result 
that the younger children must work their own way in 
the class of the common people, there being two classes 
of English society— the nobility and the common people. 

In 1740, a younger son of the Conways came to Virginia 
to seek his fortune. jMany of the younger sons of Eng- 
lish nobles settled in Virginia and formed what was 



168 MAKERS OF ARKANSxVS HISTORY. 

called the "F. F. V.'s"— First Families of Virginia. 
The Conways, the Johnsons, the Seviers, the Rectors, 
the Crittendens, and others, might be called "F. F. A.'s" 
— First Families of Arkansas. 

During the Revolutionary War, one Thomas Conway 
crossed the Alleghanies and settled in Tennessee. Here 
he reared a family of seven sons and three daughters, 
some of whom became eminent after moving to Arkansas. 
They were blessed with a good mother as well as a noble 
father. Judge Pope says that she was a saintly woman 
and was affectionately called by all who knew her, 
''Mother Conway." 

HENRY W. CONWAY. 

1793-1827. 

Henry W. Conway was one of their sons. He served 
with distinction under General Jackson in the AA^ar of 
1812. Soon after the organization of the Territory, he 
came to Arkansas, where his talents were soon recog- 
nized. In 1823, he was elected to Congress. He was re- 
elected in 1825 and in 1827. Unfortunately for him and 
for Arkansas, he was killed in a duel with Robert Crit- 
tenden, in 1827. 

It is not the fault of Mr. Conway that Arkansas is not 
an empire state. While in Congress he helped to pass a 
bill establishing the western boundary of the Territory 
about forty miles west of where it now is. This added 



THE CONWAY FAMILY. 



169 



a fertile and well-timbered strip of land forty miles wide 
by nearly two hundred miles in length. But we did not 
keep it long. As you will re- 
member, a year later the Fed- 
eral Government made a 
treaty with the Choctaw In- 
dians that gave to them that 
part of the forty-mile strip 
south of the Arkansas River; 
and in 1828 the Government 
made a similar treaty with 
the Cherokees, ceding to them 
that part of the strip north of 
the river.* These two treaties fixed the present western 
boundarv of Arkansas. 




--^--.^ :-~^v T' 



HENRY W. CONWAY, 



N. 



JAMES SEVIER CONWAY. 

1798-1855. 

James S. Conway, a brother of Henry, was Arkansas' 
first great surveyor and her first governor after the 
State had been admitted into the Union. He had re- 
ceived a good education, and he w^as an expert surveyor. 
In 1820 he came to Arkansas under contract to survey 
a large tract of the pul)lic lands. For sixteen years he 
was engaged in this work and for a part of the time he 
was surveyor-general of the Territory. He had attained 



* See map. pu-ge 59. 



170 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



a high degree of skill in surveying, and the President 
appointed him to rim the western and southern boun- 
daries. Thirty years later, when the western boundary 
was re-surveyed, not an error was found in Mr. Conway's 
original line. He often supeiwised a dozen surveying 

parties in the fiehi at one 
time. With axe and rifle, 
chain and compass, he 
tramped over most of the 
Territory. He and his 
men sufl^ered many hard- 
ships. Their supplies had 
to be brought overland 
from St. Louis and dis- 
tributed among the par- 
ties in the wilderness. 
Wild animals and prowl- 
ing savages were a con- 
stant source of danger. 
The surveyors crossed 
streams, climbed precipi- 
tous mountains, and were 
frequently exposed to rain and snow. In running the 
southern boundary they were compelled almost daily, in 
the midst of the worst weather, to wade through marshes 
and creeks often waist-deep. 
When Arkansas became a state, Mr. Conway was 




JAMES S. CONWAY. 



THE CONWAY FAMILY. 



171 



elected her first governor. lie organized her new gov- 
ernment and was ever her faithful public servant. At 
the close of his term he retired to private life. lie owned 
a large plantation on Red River in Lafayette County, 
for the cultivation of which he had more than one hun- 
dred slaves. Through industry and economy he accumu- 
lated a large fortune, and he was recognized as one of 
Arkansas' great planters. 



ELIAS NELSON CONV^^VY. 

1812-1892. 

Elias N. Conway, a younger brother of James S. and 
Henry W., came to Arkansas in 1833. Soon afterwards 
he entered politics and be- 
came one of the State's most 
honest and competent officials. 
He was one of Arkansas' two 
great auditors, the other be- 
ing James R. Miller. Mr. 
Conway was auditor from 
1835 to 1849. 

While holding this office he 
proposed a plan for disposing 
of our forfeited lands. The 

State had come into possession of thousands of acres of 
land, because soldiers to whom the land had been granted 
by the national government had not paid the taxes. Such 




i:ll\s n. coxway, 



172 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

lands are forfeited to the State for back taxes. Mr. Con- 
way's plan was to donate these lands to people who would 
become actual settlers. His proposition was favorably re- 
ceived, and in 1840 the legislature passed a l)ill for that 
purpose. As homes were offered without cost, thousands 
came to take advantage of such liberality. A few years 
later Congress made a similar law, and under its opera- 
tions millions of acres of the public lands have been taken 
up and settled by people too poor to buy a home. To Mr. 
Conway perhaps is due the credit of having first sug- 
gested this Homestead Law, as it is called. 

So much confidence did our people have in Mr. Con- 
way that the Democratic Convention in 1842 unani- 
mously nominated him for governor, although he had 
not wished to be a candidate. He declined the honor, 
but ten years later he accepted this office and served two 
terms (eight years) — the longest administration of any 
governor of Arkansas. 

Mr. Conway might be called our internal-improvement 
governor, on account of the encouragement he gave to 
the building of levees and roads. Every few years, in 
the spring, the Mississippi overflows; and during our 
history its waters have overrun much of the eastern 
part of the State, thus destroying the usefulness of some 
some of the best lands in the world. By these overflows 
the people have lost many millions of dollars. For half 
a century the State has been trying to prevent such dis- 



THE CONWAY FAMILY. 



173 



asters by building levees along the banks of the River. 
Governor Conway, during his term, pushed the work 
and built many miles of levees, which protected large 
areas of land. 

He also fostered the building of railroads. All im- 
portant towns in the State could be reached by stagecoach 




MENDING A CUEVASSE IN THE LEVEE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

or steamboat; but, as population increased, the people 
demanded more conveniences and faster means of travel. 
Other states had railroads ; why should not Arkansas 
have them? The first steamcar was built in England in 
1804 ; its speed was only five miles an hour. The first 
car in this country was built in Boston in 1807, the same 



174 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 




AN EARLY RAILROAD TRAIN. 



year in which Fulton invented the steamboat. The car 
was drawn by horses. It was not until 1830 that the 
people of the United States began in earnest to build 
railroads. 

But no roads had been constructed in Arkansas be- 
cause of her scat- 
tered population. 
During Governor 
Conway's term, 
the people became 
thoroughly in- 
terested in rail- 
roads ; and surveys were made for lines from Little Rock 
to Memphis, from Little Rock to St. Louis, and from 
Little Rock to Fort Smith. Part of the road from IMem- 
phis to Little Rock was laid in 1858, and it was the first 
built in the State. When the war came on, all further 
plans had to be abandoned. After the war the work 
was resumed. By 1869, the Memphis road was com- 
pleted. The St. Louis road was built as far as Little 
Rock by 1872, and two years later it was extended to 
Texarkana. Railroad building has been continued, and 
there are now (1905) about three thousand miles of rail- 
road in the State. Both the State and the Federal Gov- 
ernment encouraged railroad building by land grants. 
When Mr. Conway became governor, Arkansas was 
suffering from the mistake of the wild-cat banking busi- 



THE CONWAY FAMILY. 175 

ness. He will always be remembered and honored for 
the energetic manner in Avhich he took np the matter and 
forced the Real Estate Bank to settle its affairs. It is a 
rather remarkable coincidence that the banks were 
opened during the administration of Governor James S. 
Conway, and that sixteen years later, his brother, Elias 
N. Conway, led the fight to compel a settlement with the 
State. 

Mr. Conway spent the last years of his life quietly 
as a private citizen in Little Rock. He was our only 
bachelor o-overnor. He died in 1892. 



Test Questions. 

Give a sketch of the Conways before they came to Arkansas. 
Tell something of Henry Conway. What was the chief work 
of James S. Conway? Under what conditions was it accom- 
plished? Name the offices occupied by James S. Conway. Why 
is it necessary to survey laiid? When did Arkansas become a 
state? What is the Homestead Law? Who is its author? 
What office did he hold? In what years? What are the duties 
of auditor? W^hat did Governor Conway accomplish during 
his administration? How do levees and ditches prevent over- 
flow? Should the state or private citizens bear the expense 
of levees and ditches? When did the United States begin 
railroad building on a large scale? Why were not railroads 
built in Arkansas sooner? What were the modes of convey- 
ance before the railroad? What was done in railroad building 
during Governor Conway's term? When were the roads com- 
pleted? How many miles of road are there now in the State? 
Should the State aid in the building of railroads? Why? 



176 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS PIISTORY. 

Map Questions. 

Map of Europe. — Where is England? Wales? Blap of the 
United States. — Locate Memphis, St. Louis. Map of Arkansas. 
• — Locate Fort Smith, Texarkana. Trace the water boundaries 
of Arkansas; the important railroad routes. 



CHAPTER XXI. 
THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 

1800-1863. 

So much is said of the old plantation system that we 
often regret that we cannot see it as it used to be. Be- 
cause the chief product of the plantation is cotton, which 
requires a fertile soil and a warm climate, only a part 
of Arkansas is adapted to this system. In the highlands 
of the northwestern part of the State, because of early 
frosts and relatively thin soil, cotton farming does 
not pay. In that section, therefore, before the war, there 
were but few slaves and fewer plantations. Only the 
river bottoms and lowlands of south and east Arkansas 
are suitable for plantations. 

The old plantation was a large estate, often consisting 
of several thousand acres. It was cultivated by hundreds 
of slaves, whose work was directed by men called over- 
seers. For convenience, the slaves were divided into 
squads, and over each squad a trusty slave was placed. 
These ''trusties" were reliable old negroes who had en- 
deared themselves to their master by their faithfulness. 
The ''trusties" had to see that their men did the work 



178 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 




COTTON PICKERS BEFORE THE WAR. 



allotted to them. Each day's work was planned by the 
overseer, the night before. At sunrise the signal bell 
was tapped in the overseer's yard, where all the negroes 
were expected to assemble ; and there to each squad was 
assigned the work of the day. 

These simple-minded people went to their work cheer- 
fully. They were fond of joking and playing pranks, 
and frequently they tried to outstrip one another in 
hoeing and picking cotton, humming some tune as they 
worked. When a squad once got fairly to work, some 
one would start an old plantation melody; one by one 
the others would take it up, and soon the air would be 
filled with the music of their pathetic voices. 

At noon the plantation bell was rung, calling the 
slaves to dinner and to a rest of about two hours ; then 
work was resumed and continued until sundown. Per- 
haps there never returned from a day's labor a happier 



THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 



179 



or jollier crowd than the Southern negroes. After sup- 
per the banjo and the fiddle were brought out, and the 
neg'ro quarters were alive with music, laughter, song, 
and dance. At an early hour the noise ceased, the lights 
went out, and the contented slaves were soon asleep. 

The cabins of the slaves, grouped about the home of 
the overseer, made a small village. A characteristic 
plantation cabin consisted of one largo room and a side 
room, usually built of logs. Back of each slave's house 
was a small grarden where he raised the veofetables which 




AX OVERSEERS IKJUSE ON AX OLD I'LAXTATIOX. 



he and his family ate. His food, "rations" as it was 
called, though plain, was wholesome and plentiful. It 
was furnished to him weekly from the master's smoke- 
house or store-room and consisted principally of meat, 
bread, rice, and other vegetables. Knowing that he 
would be provided for, he was happy and care-free. 
Then, as now, the negro was intensely religious. The 



180 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



planter's wife or his daughter regularly gathered the 
slaves around her and taught them the simple truths of 
Christianity. On Sunday morning, some member of the 
master's family would visit the quarters to see that the 
cabins were clean and that the children w^re neatly 
dressed. It is true that once in a while a master was 
cruel to his darkies; but, for the most part, he was 




PLANTER'S HOUSE ON THE MlSSISSIPn BEFORE THE WAR. 



kind and lenient to them. They in turn loved their 
master. 

The planter's house was a stately mansion. It was 
set back some distance from the road, almost concealed 



THE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 181 

by great oalvs that stood in primeval splendor. You 
approached the house by a broad drive-way. A porch, 
supported by immense columns, extended the full width 
of the front. There was a large hall way, on either side 
of which, both upstairs and down, w^ere spacious, airy 
rooms. Everything bespoke \vealth and comfort. Hos- 
pitality was extended to all ; for the Southern planter 
kept open house, and was always a good entertainer. 

Christmas on the old plantation was a joyous occasion. 
It was a time of feasting and merry-making, when the 
planter's sons and daughters with their friends were 
back from school to enjoy the gay and festive season. 
Relatives from far and near made merry at the old home- 
stead, and the house rang with the laughter of happy 
children. The negroes, too, were happy and had their 
share of Christmas cheer. "Bhick IMammy, " particu- 
larly, with the numerous presents she had received, gave 
evidence of the good-will of the household. There was 
a Christmas-tree for the young negro children; and for 
their elders, a dance, which was especially interesting 
to the visiting friends. 

In the old planter there was no littleness; he was big- 
hearted and openhanded. One of his noblest qualities 
was his reverence for woman. She was to him the em- 
bodiment of purity and loveliness, and not the slightest 
evil of her could be whispered in his presence. 

The old plantation life had an indescribable charm. 



182 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 




COTTON READY FOR MARKET: A SCENE OF THE OLD SOUTH 



It was the product of a civilization that gave us brave 
and true men and pure and noble women, who loved their 
land, as the poet of the old South has said : 

''Land of the South — Imperial land, 
How proud thy mountains rise ! 
How sweet thy scenes on every hand ! 
But not for this — oh ! not for these 
I love thy fields to roam; 
Thou hast a dearer spell for me, 
Thou art my native home.'^ 



TKE OLD PLANTATION SYSTEM. 183 

Test Questions. 

What was the old plantation? What part of Arkansas was 
not adapted to it? Why? What is the difference between a 
plantation and a farm? Why have we not the old plantation 
system now? Hov/ are our lowlands cultivated at present? 
How were the negroes worked? Why was not the plantation 
cultivated by free labor? Does slavery pay? What is meant 
by the old plantation melody? Describe the negro cabin; the 
quarters after supper. How did the negroes get their food? 
What dia the planter's wife and daughter do for them? How 
did the slave feel toward his master? How is this illustrated 
by the war? Describe the planter's house; the character of 
the planter. Describe the Christmas festivities. Why did 
slavery exist in the South and not in the North? Where did 
the slaves come from? Did slavery injure the negro? Is 
slavery wrong? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Point to the plantation lands of Arkan- 
sas; to the region of small farms. 



CHAPTER XXII. 
THE REGULATORS. 

1835-1845. 

Northwest Arkansas is one of the most cultured and 
prosperous sections of the State. During the first quar- 
ter of the last century, however, this mountainous region 
was full of savage Indians and wild beasts. Not only 
the deer, the wolf, and the bear, but also the panther and 
the buffalo were common. Buffalo herds were scattered 
all over Washington and Benton counties, and as late as 
1830 sportsmen chased this animal. The skins were 
used for carpets, rugs, saddle-blankets and bed-covers. 

We are told that once while hunting, a certain Thomas 
Wagnor, an old-timer in this section, was overtaken by 
darkness and had to spend the night in the forest. It 
was winter, and he had no covering save the hide of a 
buffalo that he had just skinned. Wrapping himself in 
this green skin, with the hair next to him to keep him 
warm, he went (juietly to sleep. On awaking next morn- 
ing, great was his surprise to find the skin frozen so 
hard that he coulcj not unroll it ; and wdien some hunts- 



THE REGULATORS. 



1S5 



men finally ran across him, he was nearly dead from 
cold and exhaustion. 

In the mountains were many wolves which did great 
damage to all the small stock. At night these animals 
would set up a most doh^ful, forebodins: howl. Three or 




APPLE ORCHARD WHERE ONCE UEUDS UF nUFl ALO GRAZED. 



four would start the chorus, then others would join, and 
soon a pack of forty or fifty could be heard making a 
most frightful medley of yelps and howls and whines. 
The noise of the wolves was the signal for the settlers to 
begin blowing horns. This in turn set the dogs to howl- 
ing. The blowing of the horns and the howling of the 



186 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

dogs were supposed to scare the wolves away. Some- 
times this noise would be kept up for two hours. 

Our early settlers were for the most part, as you know, 
industrious, law-abiding citizens; but as a wild frontier 
always offers inducements to the reckless and the wicked, 
Arkansas had her share of border ruffians. The work of 
getting rid of the worst characters and of'civilizing those 
that remained forms an important chapter in our history. 
It is a record of daring deeds, narrow escapes, and often 
of bloody struggles. 

Our mountains, caves, forests, and cane-brakes 
afforded secure hiding-places for desperate men; and 
it was difficult to catch them. Horse-stealing w^as such 
a common crime on the frontier that some states at this 
period prescribed^ the death penalty for this offense. 
Arkansas imposed this extreme penalty until 1838. 

A gang of horse-thieves, perhaps the most desperate 
that ever infested our State, had headquarters in the 
valley of the Fourche la Fave River. They were fugi- 
tives from justice from other states and had come to 
Arkansas to carry on their wdcked business. They 
formed a secret society, elected a leader, and agreed upon 
signs and pass-words. As a cloak for their crimes, their 
leader turned preacher. They had a place for concealing 
their horses until they got enough to send to market. 
Then they took them down the Arkansas River to the Mis- 
sissippi, where they either sold them or turned them over 



THE REGULATORS. 



187 



to the river pirates, with whom the thieves were in league. 
The officers of the law could do nothino- with these men. 
Finally, the condi- 
tions became so des- 
perate that the citi- 
zens took the matter 
into their own hands 
and constituted them- 
selves a bod}^ of retru- 
lators. They sent out 
scouts with instruc- 
tions to arrest and 
bring before them all 
suspicious characters. 
In this way the ring- 
leaders were cap- 
tured. They were im- 
mediately tried by 
the Regulators and, 
if found guilty, were 
hanged. This put an end to horse-stealing in that 
section. 

About 1838, the counties in northwest Arkansas, bor- 
dering on the Indian Territory, suffered more than any 
other section from criminals and desperadoes. Before 
that time, that part of the State was comparatively free 
from crime. But in that vear the Cherokee Indians from 




A FOREST OF PRIMEVAL PINES. 



188 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Georgia and Tennessee were required to move to their 
present homes in the Territory across the Arkansas line. 
Tliey had been paid large sums of money for their 
possessions east of the Mississippi River. This fact was 
known to evil-minded men in all parts of the TTnited 
States ; and they came to Arkansas in great crowds, that 
they might sell whiskey to the Indians and cheat them 
out of their money either by trading or by gambling. 

Alfred W. Arrington, a lawyer then living at Fayette- 
ville, described the situation as follows: 

"Runaways from every state in the Union were col- 
lected along the Cherokee line, and they preyed alike 
upon the whites and the Indians. For the especial bene- 
fit of these desperadoes, it would seem, groceries were 
erected immediately upon the line, one half of the house 
being in Washington County and the other in the Chero- 
kee Nation ; so that if a crime were committed in one part 
of the grocery, the offender had but to step across a plank 
in the floor, and, lo ! he was in another jurisdiction." 

Murder and robbery became common. White men 
would often rob the settlers and then commit the most 
fiendish outrages in order to throw suspicion on the In- 
dians. Just across the line in the Indian Territory there 
was a desperate feud between two factions of the Indians, 
the Ridge and the Ross parties. One night in June, 1839, 
all the leaders in the Ridge faction were foully assassin- 
ated. Naturally, great excitement prevailed in the In- 



THE REGULATORS. 



189 



dian Territory, and this afforded further opportunity for 
crime across the border in Arkansas. 

About the same time there was a most revoltinpj crime 
on Cane II ill in Washington County. There lived in the 
community a highly respected and well-to-do farmer, 
named AVright, who was supposed to have money. One 
night about nine o'clock, three men came to his door, 
called him out, and killed him. Then they murdered 
four or five of his children and set fire to his house. AVith 
great difficulty Mrs. Wright and three children escaped. 




A BAND OF REGULATORS AND THEIR CAPTIVE. 

This awful deed thoroughly aroused the people. As 
the courts were powerless, the citizens themselves resolved 
to put an end to such outrages ; so a committee of Regu- 



190 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

lators, composed of thirty-six of the best citizens, was im- 
mediately organized. This committee sent out a body of 
one hundred horsemen to arrest all doubtful characters. 
These men rode in tens over the county and made many 
arrests. The committee sat as a court to examine all men 
brought before them and to pass judgment upon each 
case. Suspicion finally settled upon about half a dozen 
men, who, after a long trial, were declared guilty. The 
death penalty was served upon them, and they were 
hanged in the presence of perhaps a thousand witnesses. 
This was a severe lesson to evil-doers. It taught the 
criminals that Arkansas was not a safe place for them. 
After this, the law was allowed to take its course. Parti- 
san accounts of this affair were published, and the im- 
pression was made abroad that Arkansas was ruled by 
the pistol and mob law, though this reputation was not 
deserved. It is always better that crime should be pun- 
ished in the legal way; but it was to the credit of the 
people of our State, that, when the courts could not cope 
with criminals, the citizens themselves had the character 
and the courage to suppress crime. 



Test Questions. 

What animals were found in northwest Arkansas in the 
first quarter of the last century? What use did the pioneer 
make of them? What story is told of the wolves? Describe 
the buffalo; the wolf; the panther. What induces ruffians to 
go to the frontier? What crime was the most common among 



THE REGULATORS. 191 

those of Arkansas? Why could the courts do nothing with 
them? Tell the story of the gang that infested Fourche 
valley. How did the people rid the country of them? Why 
were desperadoes attracted to the northwestern counties in 
1838? How did these desperadoes protect themselves? What 
crime brought matters to a crisis? How did the citizens put 
an end to crime? What is meant by Regulators? Did they do 
right? Give your reasons. Is it better for the courts to punish 
criminals or for the citizens to do so? Why? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas.— Trsice the Fourche la Fave River, What 
counties does it drain? Bound Arkansas. 



CHAPTER XXIIL 
ELIAS RECTOR. 

1802-1878. 

One of the most original characters that ever lived 
in Arkansas was Major Elias Rector, of whom Albert 
Pike tells us in his famous poem, "The Fine Arkansas 
Gentleman, Close to the Choctaw Line." He was an in- 
timate friend of Arkansas' 
great poet. The poem was 
written in the winter of 1852, 
while Major Rector was in 
Washington trying to secure 
his appointment as United 
States marshal for the judi- 
cial district of Arkansas. 
After his return, the poem 
was recited in his presence. 
AVhen some one asked him 
what he thought of it, he replied, "Wal, all poets are 
fools, and Pike is the greatest poet I ever knew." 

Major Rector was a large man, and striking in appear- 
ance. According to Judge Pope, the Major usually 




ELIAS RECTOR. 



ELIAS RECTOR. 



193 



dressed in a full suit of black silk velvet made in the 
height of fashion ; and his linen was of the finest and 
was very elaborately ruffled. He had long, black, glossy 
hair, which he wore tucked up with a comb. When 
loose, it reached below his waist. 

On one occasion Major Rector was traveling in a 
stagecoach from Memphis to Nashville, Tennessee. 
Some of his companions in the coach were ladies. It was 
a long and tedious journey. Once Mr. Rector rather 
carelessly took off his hat, when, to his astonishment, his 
hair came undone and fell all dishevelled over his 
shoulders. The ladies were horrified; and at the next 
stopping place they alighted, and refused to go any 
farther. When the driver inquired why they would 
not proceed, they sharply replied that they did not pro- 




TltAVEL BY STAGECOACH. 



pose to travel in the same coach with a woman disguised 
as a man. When the Major heard of the trouble, he 
came out and cleared up the mystery. The ladies, 



194 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

amused at their mistake, reentered the coach arid re- 
sumed their journey. Mr. Rector was very companion- 
able, and the rest of the way was enjoyed all the more 
because of the humor of the incident. 

The story is told that Mr. Rector's hair was once the 
means of saving his life. He was at an entertainment 
in New Orleans when a drunken mob broke into the 
room, knocked out the lights, and began to attack the 
men with clubs and knives. Mr. Rector happened to 
think of his long hair and let it down. He was none 
too quick, for at that moment a ruffian seized him and 
was proceeding to beat him when he felt his long hair. 
Thinking that Mr. Rector was a woman, he let him go. 

Major Rector was of good family, being a cousin of 
three of Arkansas' later governors, James S. Conway, 
Elias Conway, and Henry M. Rector. He was a native 
of Virginia ; but like many boys in the Eastern States, 
he resolved to come west to seek his fortune. In 1825, 
at the age of twenty-three, he arrived at Little Rock, 
then a mere struggling frontier village of log cabins. 
Here primitive simplicity reigned, and the traditional 
latch-string hung on the outside of the door. The town 
gave this young Virginian a hearty welcome, and he re- 
solved to east his lot with the people of Arkansas. A new 
country is usually a good place for a young man ; for the 
people are more nearly on a plane of equality, as there 
is neither extreme wealth nor extreme poverty. Every 



ELIAS RECTOR. 



195 



one is thrown upon his own resources, and labor is hon- 
ored. 

Mr. Rector was not long in making himself felt. He 
was a man of impressive personality, and he had great 
energy and will-power. For some time he was a sur- 
veyor; then he entered politics. President Jackson 
appointed him United States marshal for Arkansas and 
the Indian Territory, and he enjoyed the distinction of 
filling this office for sixteen 
years. After 1837 he made 
Fort Smith his home. 

His most notable public ser- 
vice was in connection with 
the Indians. He is said to 
have known them "as a mari- 
ner knows the sea." For sev- 
eral years he was Superin- 
tendent of Indian Affairs. 
The Seminole Indians of 
Florida had given the United 
States trouble for many years. 
Two or three wars had been 
fought with them, and all ef- 
forts to move them west had failed. Finally Major 
Rector was appointed by the President to treat with 
them. He went by steamer from Fort Smith to Florida. 
His vessel was loaded with hams, champagne, cigars, and 




A SEMINOLE CHIEF. 



196 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

presents pleasing to the Indian. With him were some 
Seminoles living in the Indian Territory. 

When they reached Florida, he sent these savages 
among their friends and kinsmen to tell them of a happy 
hunting-ground in the far West, and to invite the chiefs 
to come to a council with the pale face. The Major in 
his princely way gave them presents, feasted them on 
ham, drank champagne with them, and smoked the pipe 
of peace. At the same time, he and his Indian friends 
gave them glowing accounts of the new country to the 
west. He soon won the hearts of these simple people, and 
they made a treaty with him by which they gave up 
their homes in Florida and moved to the Indian Terri- 
tory. This tact of ''The Fine Arkansas Gentleman" 
closed, once for all, our troubles with the Seminoles of 
Florida. For this. Congress voted Major Rector ten 
thousand dollars with the thanks of the nation. 

Major Rector was a Southern gentleman of the old 
type — genial, hospitable, honest, and courageous. His 
great fault was his fondness for drink. Aside from 
this, he was a most estimable man ; he had much of the 
milk of human kindness in his warm nature. He kept 
open house, and his friends always found a cheery greet- 
ing. 

Test Questions. 
Who was "The Fine Arkansas Gentleman"? Describe him. 



ELIAS RECTOR. 197 

Describe Little Rock when he came to it. Tell something of 
his family. What public offices did he hold? What was his 
greatest service to his country? What was the Major's great 
fault? Why was this evil more common in the early days? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Locate Florida. Map of Arkan- 
sas. — How far is it from Little Rock to Fort Smith? 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
ALBERT PIKE. 

1809-1891. 

In 1833 there was much excitement in Little Rock, 
and indeed throughout the territory, over some articles 
appearing in the Advocate, a Whig paper published at 
the capital. They were signed "Casca." Everyone was 
asking, "Who is Casca?" but nobody seemed to know. 
Some thought it was James Woodson Bates, who was 
known to be the ablest writer in Arkansas at that time ; 
but this proved to be a mistake. 

As the writer was a supporter of Whig principles, the 
leaders of that party were determined to find him. The 
great territorial secretary, Robert Crittenden, and Jesse 
Turner, afterwards a Supreme Court judge, learned the 
name of the author and went in search of him. They 
found him in an old-fashioned log school-house on Little 
Pine Creek below Van Buren ; and lo ! this wise man 
of the East (for he was from IMassachusetts) was only 
a boy school-teacher. The Whig party was in need of 
every possible recruit, and these men rejoiced to find 
such a gifted champion. They soon arranged to have 



ALBERT PIKE. 



199 



this Yankee teacher go to Little Rock and be associate 
editor of the Advocate. 

Albert Pike, for this was the young man's name, was 
one of the distinguished men of the nineteenth century. 
He saw most of that century pass ; for he was born in 
Boston, IMassachusetts, in 
1809, and died in Wash- 
ington, D. C, in 1891. 
What great changes took 
place in these years ! The 
AVar of 1812 was fought ; 
the ^lexican War passed 
into history, with the re- 
sult that an immense ter- 
ritory was acquired by 
our government; and the 
greatest civil war of the 
age Avas fought. During 
this period of fourscore 
years, the United States 
doubled her territory and developed from a weak nation 
to a world power. 

Mr. Pike was a self-taught and self-made man. AYhen 
he was but four j^ears old, his father moved from the 
city to a small town. Here he received an elementary 
education; and, at an academy not far distant, a high- 
school training. At fifteen he entered the freshman class 




ALBERT PIKE. 



200 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

at Harvard College, in Cambridge, near Boston ; but, for 
lack of means, he was compelled to leave college before 
the end of the year. He taught school and at the same 
time pursued his studies. At the opening of Harvard 
the next year, he passed both the freshman and sopho- 
more examinations and was ready for the junior class. 
In twelve months he had done two years' college work 
in addition to his teaching. When he was told that he 
must pay tuition for his first two college years before 
entering the junior class, he refused to do so and left 
the institution. He taught school, and by private study 
he mastered the junior and senior courses, thus showing 
himself to be a young man of pluck as well as of ability. 

His home life was not pleasant, and he resolved to go 
west as soon as possible. After teaching five years he 
started for the Pacific coast. At St. Louis he joined 
some pioneers and traveled w'ith them awhile; then he 
started with a trapping party for Mexico. As he met 
with nothing but hardships, he turned back, and finally 
reached Fort Smith. It was the following year that Mr. 
Crittenden discovered him in the little log school-house. 

At Little Rock, Mr. Pike found what he was seeking — 
an opportunity to do something. He wrote for the 
Advocate, set type, and read law. He had a remarkable 
mind and memory. His physical endurance was great, 
and he did an immense amount of work. He slept only 
five or six hours a day— a habit that lasted through life. 



ALBERT PIKE. 



201 



One less strongly constituted could not have endured 
what he did. He chose law as his profession; and so 
successful was he that in a short time he was able to 
build a home which, to this day, is one of the handsomest 
residences in the "City of Roses." In company with 





fe>-s^ 






ALBERT PIKES RESIDENL'E AT LITTLE IUHJK. 

other pioneer lawyers, Pike traveled over the State, prac- 
ticing in every county. He had much business also be- 
fore the Supreme Court of the United States, to the bar 
of which he was admitted at the same time as was Abra- 
ham Lincoln. Mr. Pike was perhaps the most important 
Indian attorney in the United States. In a famous suit 
called the "Choctaw Case," his fee was three hundred 



202 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

thousand dollars; but the government failed to pay the 
claim. Although he made much money, he never became 
wealthy. He was kind-hearted and generous; he could 
not refuse a call for help, and his charities kept him 
poor. 

It was through the efforts of Mr. Pike that the first 
Pacific railroad was built. In 1855 he urged a Pacific 
railroad convention to take up the matter and push it 
through. Later, he spoke before the Louisiana legisla- 
ture at Baton Rouge and obtained the passage of a char- 
ter for a Pacific railroad from New Orleans, with termini 
on the Pacific coast at San Francisco and at Guaymas, 
Mexico. Mr. Pike lived to see this road completed ; and 
not only this, but many other railroad lines to the states 
on the Pacific coast. 

As a soldier, Albert Pike served with distinction in the 
Mexican War, being a captain in Governor Yell's regi- 
ment. As he was a Southerner in his sympathies, he was 
loyal to Arkansas when she seceded from the Union. He 
joined the Confederate Army, was made a brigadier- 
general, and organized and commanded a brigade of 
Cherokee Indians. Because of his great influence with 
the Red Man, the Confederacy placed him at the head 
of the Indian Department and gave him power to make 
treaties. He succeeded in getting for the Confederacy 
the active support of some of the Indians, and in per- 
suading: others to remain neutral. 



ALBERT PIKE. 



203 



As a scholar, General Pike has had but few superiors 
in America. He was a thorough student of Latin and 
Greek, and he read with fluency French, Hebrew, and 
Sanscrit. He translated into English fifteen volumes 
of Aryan literature and wrote three books on Roman 
law. His best known prose works are on free masonry, 
and at the time of his 
death he ranked as 
the highest mason in 
the world. But it is 
through his poetry 
that he has reached 
all hearts; and boys 
and girls of the South 
should read his 
"Dixie," "To the 
Mocking Bird," and 
"Every Year." Had 
he devoted his entire 
time to poetry, doubt- 
less he would have become widely known as an American 
poet. 

The last twenty-two years of his life were spent in 
AYashington City, the latter half being devoted exclu- 
sively to study. His was an interesting home — he him- 
self the center of interest. He had a magnificent library. 
He took special interest in birds ; and, as his friends took 




ALBERT PIKE CONSISTORY AT 
LITTLE ROCK, 

Erected by Scottish Rite Masons of Ar- 
kansas and named in honor of General 
Pike. 



204 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

delight in sending him rare ones^ birds of many lands 
' ' greeted him at morn and said good-bye at eve. ' ' 

One writer has described Mr. Pike in these words: 
''Albert Pike was a king among men by the divine right 
of merit — a giant in body and brain, in heart and soul. 
So majestic was he in appearance that wherever he 
moved, on highway or byway, the wide world over, every 
passer-by turned to gaze upon him — and admire him. 
* * * His whole countenance told of power combined 
with tenderness, refinement, and benevolence." 



Test Questions. 

Tell the story of Albert Pike's first appearance in Arkansas. 
Give a sketch of his early career. How can a poor boy get an 
education? How did he make his way to the front at Little 
Rock? What profession did lie. choose? With what success? 
What did he do during the Mexican War? during the Civil 
War? In what other ways did Mr. Pike distinguish himself? 
Name some of his poems. 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Locate Cambridge (Mass.), St. 
Louis (Mo.). Map of Arkansas. — Locate Van Buren. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

ARCHIBALD YELL. 

1797-1847. 

When Judge Yell was once holding court in Arkansas, 
the sheriff told him that a certain criminal desired by 
the court could not be arrested because he was a notori- 
ous desperado. 

"Where is he?" asked the judge. 

"At one of the saloons in town," was the sheriff's 
reply. 

"Then," exclaimed the judge, "summon me, and show 
him to me." 

His command was promptly obeyed, and when the 
desperado was pointed out, Mr. Yell boldly marched up 
to him, seized him by the throat and shouted, ' ' Come into 
court, and answer to your name and indictments against 
you." The culprit, cowed into abject submission, obeyed 
the command without resistance. Such was the dauntless 
courage of this invincible man. 

IMr. Yell was born in North Carolina, but at an early 
age he moved to Tennessee. He served with credit under 
General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans and in the 



206 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



wars against the Creek and Seminole Indians. By his 
gallantry and almost reckless bravery, he won the affec- 
tions of "Old Hickory," who was ever his firm friend. 
Colonel Yell was an excellent story-teller and readily 




THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS IN WHICH ARCHIBALD YELL 
SERVED UNDER GENERAL JACKSON. 



made friends. He was full of pleasant humor and had a 
good word and a cheerful smile for every one. He had the 
happy faculty of remembering the name of every one 
he met and of making each feel that he was personally 
interested in him. And in truth he was; for he had a 
large sympathetic heart and loved his fellow men and 
believed in them. In all his dealings he was thoroughly 
honest and trustworthy. Never in his public life did he 
mislead or deceive the people. 



ARCHIBALD YELL. 207 

In 1832 his old friend, President Jackson, appointed 
him receiver of public moneys of the Little Rock land- 
office ; and he moved to Arkansas. He soon resigned this 
position and reentered the practice of law, the profes- 
sion that he had followed in Tennessee. Later Presi- 
dent Jackson appointed him judge of the Superior 
Court ; but Mr. Yell was fitted for a political rather than 
a judicial career. He became a very popular man in 
the Territory ; and when Arkansas was admitted into the 
Union of States, he was chosen her first representative 
in Congress. 

In 1840 Mr. Yell was elected governor of Arkansas, 
and proved himself firm and conscientious in the dis- 
charge of his duties. On one occasion his brother-in- 
law, Mr. Moore of Little Rock, presented to him a long 
petition asking for the appointment of a man to office. 
After reading the petition the Governor said that he 
could not make the appointment. 

"AVhat," said Mr. Moore, "are you going to disregard 
the wishes of so many people?" 

"Yes," replied the Governor, "I will not appoint the 
man. As for the petition, I could secure before dark 
equally as many signatures to a petition to have you 
hanged." 

One of the most noted political contests in Arkansas 
was the campaign for Congress in 1844. The AMiigs 
put forward as their candidate Judge David Walker of 



208 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Fayetteville. He was an able man and enjoyed the con- 
fidence of the whole State. The nomination confused 
the Democrats, and for a time they were at a loss what 
to do. After taking counsel, they decided that the only 

man in the State who 
could defeat Judge Walk- 
er was Archibald Yell. 
The convention, therefore, 
called upon Mr. Yell to re- 
sign the governorship and 
to accept the nomination 
for Congress. This he did. 
The two candidates were 
warm personal friends 
and neighbors, both resid- 
ing at Fayetteville. Mr. 
Yell was a better cam- 
paigner than was Judge 
AA^alker, and he won the 
race. Judge Walker was 
a man of quiet, dignified bearing, and he did not 
find it easy to mingle freely with the people in the man- 
ner of Ex-Governor Yell. 

Two years later Mr. Yell figured in a different role. 
In 1845 the United States government annexed Texas. 
Mexico did not like this because Texas had been one of 
her provinces and had revolted and established her inde-' 




AIU'HIBALI) YP:LL. 



ARCHIBALD YELL. 



209 



pendence from the mother country. Besides, the United 
States and Mexico could not agree upon what shoukl be 
the southern boundary line of Texas. The United 
States insisted that it should be the Rio Grande River; 
and ]\Iexico, the Nueces River. Thereupon the United 
States sent troops to occupy the disputed territory. This 
action provoked the Mexicans to attack them, and war 
followed. 

The President, James K. Polk, called upon Arkansas 







MAr OF THE MEXICAN WAR. 



to furnish a regiment for cavalry service in this war. 
Arkansas was ablaze with excitement, for she was in 
thorough sympathy with the Texans. Volunteers flocked 
from all parts of the State in greater numbers than the 



210 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



government could accept. As soon as war was declared, 
]\Ir. Yell left his seat in Congress to go to the front and 
was elected colonel of the Arkansas regiment. He had 
led his people in peace ; now he was to lead them in war. 
One of the companies in Colonel Yell's regiment was 
commanded by Albert Pike. The Arkansas troops took 
part in but one battle of the war — the battle of Buena 
Vista. In this battle the Mexicans greatly outnumbered 
their foe, but they were poorer fighters. General Taylor 
commanded the forces of the United States, and General 




WITH GENERAL TAYLOR AT BUENA VISTA. 



Santa Anna those of Mexico. Colonel Yell's regiment 
occupied the left wing of the army, which was so severely 



ARCHIBALD YELL. 211 

attacked that it was forced to give way. Colonel Yell 
saw that the battle was likely to be lost. With thirty or 
forty of his bravest followers, he dashed into the thickest 
of the fight. lie lost his life in the heroic attempt; but 
his efforts to check the enemy were partially successful 
and helped General Taylor finally to win the battle. 

Colonel Yell was^ buried, on the battle-ground. When 
the war was over, the regiment brought his body back 
with them, and it was interred at Fayetteville with 
appropriate honors.* 



*In connection with Colonel Yell it is well to note an inter- 
esting story of another Arkansan in the Mexican War. He 
was a private and a faithful sentinel. Judge Pope tells the 
story as follows: "While the 'Division of the Center,' com- 
manded by General Wool, was encamped opposite Monclova, 
the General and his staff were invited by the Spanish Mayor, 
or alcalde (iil-kiil'de), of the town to a banquet in the citadel. 
The festivities were kept up pretty late at night, and when 
the party attempted to cross the bridge spanning the river 
between the camp of the American army and the town, the 
sentinel, a long, lank Arkansan, barred the way with leveled 
musket and demanded the countersign. General Wool pro- 
tested and stated in a very authoritative manner that he was 
General Wool, commanding the American forces, and that he 
insisted upon passing. The sturdy Arkansan brought his 
musket to a more threatening position and replied: 'I don't 
care if you are General Wool, General Jackson, or General 
George Washington, you can't pass here without the counter- 
sign,' The old General blustered and fumed considerably and 
talked about court-martial, and having the sentinel shot, and 
so forth. But the man on guard couldn't be overawed, nor 
intimidated, and the General and party had to remain seated 
upon their horses in a drenching rain until the relief guard 
arrived, and the officer of the watch recognized the General 
and supplied him with the countersign. The next morning 
General Wool sent for the sentinel of the night before and 
made him an orderly, and provided him with a new uniform 
and outfit." 



212 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Test Questions. 

Sketch the life of Mr. Yell before he entered politics in 
Arkansas. Describe the man. What was his first public ser- 
vice for Arkansas? How did he receive this position? What 
are the duties of such a position? What other political positions 
did he hold? How else did he serve his country? What was 
the cause of this war? Relate Colonel Yell's part in the war. 
What can you say of his burial place? Give an anecdote to 
illustrate Mr. Yell's firmness of character. Tell the story of 
the Arkansas sentinel. 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Locate North Carolina, Tennessee, 
New Orleans. Map Shoiving Mexican Cessions, p. 45, and 
Map of Mexican War, p. 209. — Locate Mexico, Texas, Buena 
Vista. Trace the Rio Grande River; the Nueces. Bound the 
disputed territory of the Mexican War. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

CHESTER ASHLEY. 

1791-1848. 

''Go west, young man, go west, and grow up with the 
country," was Mr. Greeley's advice to the boys of New 
York. Indeed the East and the West have been mutually 
helpful in their relations. The Mississippi valley 
afforded an outlet for the over-crowded population of 
the East ; and to the West, the East has been a constant 
mother, sending forth with her blessings her noblest 
sons and purest daughters. 

We have seen that only a brave people will leave the 
comforts of old and settled communities and face the 
dangers and hardships of frontier life. The West knew 
many such people from the best families of the East, but 
she knew no one that was braver or nobler than Chester 
Ashley. 

He was a New Englander, born at Amherst, Massa- 
chusetts, in 1791. lie came from the land of the Puri- 
tans, that deeply religious sect which has given to our 
country so man)^ good and strong men. His parents 
moved with him to New York, where he grew to manhood. 



214 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 




CAMPUS OF WILLIAMS COLLEGE, WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS., 
WHERE CHESTER ASHLEY WAS EDUCATED. 

It was in this State that he began his education, pass- 
ing through the elementary grades and the high schooL 
He was afterwards graduated with honors from Williams 
College, in IMassachusetts, and then took a law course at 
Litchfield, Connecticut, where was one of the foremost 
law schools of that day. He was in no hurry to enter 
his profession, for he waited till he was well prepared 
for his life-work — a good example for us all. 

With an excellent education, our young friend left 
home and came west. He lived for more than a year in 
Illinois and Missouri. In 1820 he reached Little Rock — 
penniless and friendless. Yet he was rich, for he had 
something far more precious than silver or gold — a sound 
body, a trained mind, and a noble character. By good 
habits and close study he had accumulated this fortune. 
The temperate, industrious boy had developed into the 



CHESTER ASHLEY. 



215 



upright Christian gentleman. He found a real joy in 
living a sober, clean life. He had won greater victories 
than either Alexander or Napoleon — he had conquered 
himself. 

Chester Ashley was all his life an untiring worker. 
Because in his boyhood he had trained himself to hard 
study, he found it easy to spend days and nic^hts in 
patient toil over 
1 a w books and 
court report s. 
Such qualities as 
he possessed com- 
pelled recognition. 
His promptness, 
courtesy, and abil- 
ity attracted the 
attention of the 
people, and he soon took his place among the foremost 
lawyers of the Territory. But his success did not cause 
him to relax his energies; he persevered all the more. 

AVithin a few years after his arrival, Mr. Ashley was 
looked upon as the ablest lawyer in Arkansas, though 
among his opponents at the bar were such men as Crit- 
tenden, Pike, and Fowler. For a time he and Mr. Crit- 
tenden were partners; but when Mr. Crittenden's aspira- 
tions led him into politics, ^Ir. Ashley withdrew from 
the partnership. Mr. Ashley likewise had political am- 




TllE OLD ASHLEY MANSION AT 
LITTLE ROCK. 



216 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



bitions, but he had determined to have an independent 
fortune before trying to fulfill them. AVith his usual 
self-control, he carried out this determination with un- 
erring firmness. Great singleness of purpose was one of 
the distinguishing elements in his character. He never 
attempted too many things at one time, for he believed 
in concentrating his energies. For twenty years he had 

the largest law prac- 
tice in the State. The 
whole of Arkansas 
was his circuit, and 
he had business be- 
fore every court. By 
1844 he had accom- 
plished the first part 
of his plans : he had 
acquired much wealth. 
Then he was ready 
for politics. 

The opportunity for 
success in politics was 
at hand, and Mr. Ash- 
ley was quick to per- 
ceive it. 1844 was the 
year in which to elect a president of the United States. 
The Democratic party was in favor of annexing Texas 
and of taking possession of Oregon, and its presidential 




COAT OF ARMS OF THE ASHLEY 
FAMILY. 



CHESTER ASHLEY. 217 

candidate was James K. Polk. The Whig party was 
rather timid in asserting its views on public questions; 
but its candidate was the great statesman, Henry Clay. 

Mr. Ashley believed in the principles of the Democratic 
party, and threw himself into the campaign with much 
fervor and canvassed the entire State, speaking at all im- 
portant points. So strong were his arguments on the 
tariff question that the talented representative of the 
Whigs, Mr. Arrington, was convinced of the error of 
his party and left the field. Mr. Mercer, a distinguished 
Virginian, hearing Mr. Ashley speak, said of him, "I 
have met able men in Congress from Arkansas, but none 
of the distinguished ability of your fellow citizen, Colonel 
Ashley. I am astonished that a gentleman of such com- 
manding abilities is not in the council of the nation.'* 

The result of the election was a great Democratic vic- 
tory, not only in Arkansas, but in the entire United 
States. To Mr. Ashley was given the credit of the 
marked Democratic success in Arkansas. 

When the legislature met the same fall to fill the 
vacancy in the United States Senate caused by the death 
of Mr. Fulton, Mr. Ashley was elected almost without 
opposition. Thus at one bound he secured one of the 
highest offices in the gift of the people, though he had 
never held office before. 

Mr. Ashley is said to have been "the handsomest man 
in the Senate." He was a tall, commanding figure, of 



218 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



very pleasing manners. Arkansas may well be proud of 
her representatives in Congress at this date, 1845 ; A, H. 

Sevier, Chester Ashley, 
and Archibald Yell— a 
trio of able men. Mr. Se- 
vier was chairman of the 
Senate Committee on 
Foreign Relations, an es- 
pecially important com- 
mittee at that time, as the 
United States was at war 
with Mexico. Mr. Ashley, 
soon after entering the 
Senate, was made Chair- 
man of the Judiciary 
Committee, an unusual 
honor for a new member. 
Mr. Yell represented us 
in the House of Representatives. Perhaps at no other 
time has Arkansas been so ably represented at Washing- 
ton or wielded so powerful an influence in the nation. 

Mr. Ashley's first speech in the Senate was on the an- 
nexation of Texas, and it was pronounced the most force- 
ful speech delivered on that subject. He was reelected 
to the Senate in 1846, but two years later in the Senate 
Chamber he was stricken with an illness from which he 
suddenly died. He had become a most valuable member 




CHESTER ASHLEY. 



CHESTER ASHLEY. 219 

of the Senate, and his death was a blow not only to his 
family and his State, but to his nation as well. 

He was one of a trio of Arkansas' strongest public 
servants who died within a year of one another. The 
other two were A. II. Sevier and Judge Benjamin John- 
son. All three came to the Territory about the same 
time; and in building up their own fortunes, they had 
helped to make Arkansas a great state. 



Test Questions. 

Sketch the early life of Mr. Ashley. Why has New England 
produced so many strong men? In what way was Mr. Ashley 
rich when he first came to Little Rock? Can every boy get 
that kind of wealth? Is it worth the trouble? Why? What 
victory had he won that was greater than any of Napoleon's? 
Explain and illustrate your answer. 

What was Mr. Ashley's profession and reputation in Arkan- 
sas? Give the story of his political career. What famous 
trio represented Arkansas in Congress in 1845? What three 
distinguished Arkansans died within a year of each other? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States. — Where is Connecticut? New 
England? New York? Illinois? Massachusetts? Virginia? 
The national Capital? 



CHAPTER XXVII. 
ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 

1814-1879. 

Of that noted family of Kentuckians of whom we have 
already read, Robert Ward Johnson continued the fame 
of his father and honored a name many times honored 
in the annals of Arkansas and the Nation. 

After being graduated with the highest honors from 
St. Joseph College, at Bardstown, Kentucky, he studied 
law at Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut). He 
inherited a bent for politics and cultivated this family 
trait during his residence at college. There he was un- 
der the care of his uncle, Richard M. Johnson, who 
served his country as Congressman for twenty-nine years 
and as Vice-President of the United States for four 
years. 

Young Johnson delighted in a political contest. He 
put up a spirited fight, and it was always a manly one. 
His opponents dreaded him ; for he was able, fearless, and 
outspoken. Arkansas has seen but few party leaders his 
equal. He showed his ability as a Democratic leader in 
1840 and again, two years later, in the contest for repre- 



ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 



221 



sentative from Pulaski County, which was strongly 
Whig. He added to his popularity by the successful 
prosecution of a notorious gang of counterfeiters in 
Little Rock. His superb generalship as a party leader 
and his fearlessness as a prosecuting attorney made him 
extremely popular, and in 1846 he was elected to Con- 
gress. Mr. Johnson was prosecuting attorney for Pulaski 
County for four years, attorney-general for two years, 
a member of the lower house of Congress for si-x years, 
and a United States Senator for seven years. 

It was during the thirteen years immediately preced- 
ing the Civil War that he 
was in Congress ; and it 
was during his term as 
Senator that the hottest 
part of that great quarrel 
between the North and 
the South took place. The 
difference between the 
two sections became so 
sharp that even the lead- 
ing churches divided on 
the slavery question into 
Northern and Southern 

, , ROBERT W. JOHNSON. 

branches. 

In the South, slavery was a fixed institution, as the 
slaves could be worked with profit on large plantations 




222 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

where great crops of corn, rice, or cotton were raised. 
In the North, on account of the cold climate, agriculture 
was not the chief business, and slave labor was unprofit- 
able. The Northern States had therefore abolished slav- 
ery, and the people had come to look upon it as a great 
evil. They wrote against slavery and spoke against it. 
This they thought they had a right to do because 
liberty of speech was allowed in our country. But the 
Southern people resented such a course as interfering 
with their affairs ; and they called the Northerners med- 
dlers. 

Besides this, the two sections quarreled over the Fed- 
eral territory. In 1803, by the Louisiana purchase, the 
United States had acquired large territories west of the 
Mississippi; and to this territory another large one was 
added in 1845 and 1848 by the annexation of Texas and 
the Mexican War. The question was, ' ' Should slaves be 
allowed in this territory?" The North said, "No"; the 
South said, "Yes." The North claimed that Congress 
had a right to keep slaves out of any territory belonging 
to the United States, while the South said that she had 
as much right to carry her slaves into this territory as 
the North had to carry her horses. The quarrel was long 
and bitter, as each party was in earnest. Both lost their 
temper at times, and each said many hard things about 
the other. 

Effort after effort was made to settle the differences 



ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 



223 



peaceably. As far back as 1820 an agreement was made 
to divide the disputed territory between the two sec- 



•— 8 RITISH POSSESSIONS 




THE UNITED STATES IN 1850, DIVIDED OVER THE QUESTION 

OF SLAVERY. 

tions, and a line was run from east to west at 36°, 30'; 
that is, along the northern boundary of Arkansas. Con- 
gress agreed that north of this line, except in Missouri, 
there should be no slaves. It was understood that south 
of the line slavery should be permitted. This agreement, 
introduced by Henry Clay, was known as the Missouri 
Compromise. It did not suit the extremists of either 
side ; so the quarrel waxed warm again, and in 1854 
Congress organized Kansas and Nebraska as territories, 
allowing the people who lived there to decide whether or 
not they would have slaves. This was a repeal of the 
Missouri Compromise, and at once a bitter struggle be- 
between the sections began again. Neither side would 
yield, and the inevitable result was war. 

In 1860, the Republican party nominated Abraham 



224 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Lincoln of Illinois for President ; the Democratic party, 
being divided in opinion, put out two candidates. Sena- 
tor Stephen A. Douglas representing the Northern wing 
and John C. Breckenridge, the Southern. Mr. Ijincoln 
was elected. 

The Southern States were indignant, and they with- 
drew from the Union. 
The Union or central 
government had stood 
for almost three-quar- 
ters of a century, but 
there had always been 
a difference of opin- 
ion with reference to 
the extent of its pow- 
ers. Some claimed 
that the central gov- 
ernment was supreme ; 
others that the state 
was the highest au- 
thority. The Northern 
States thought that a 
state had no right to secede; but the Southern States 
believed firmly that this right did exist, and in 
accordance with this view eleven states withdrew from 
the Union. These were South and North Carolina, 
Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Ten- 







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, 








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'nrt<\.> ,v» 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 



225 



nessee, Texas, Arkansas, and Virginia. These states 
formed a new union called the Confederate States of 
America, and selected Richmond, Virginia, as the capital. 
They adopted a new flag and 
elected Jefferson Davis, of 
IMississippi, President. 

As Arkansas was a South- 
ern slave state, her views on 
slavery were similar to those 
of her sister states. But 
the Union sentiment was 
strong here, and her people 
loved the national govern- 
ment and wished to be faith- 
ful to it. Arkansas was 
among the last to withdraw 
from the Union. Her legislature asked the people to 
elect a convention to decide what she should do. They 
selected a body of conservative men, the best in the 
State; and the convention met March 4th, 1861. These 
men postponed their decision for awhile, hoping that all 
differences might be peaceably settled. But this could 
not be done. 

President Lincoln believed that secession was wrong. 
He believed also that it was his sworn duty to preserve 
the Union ; that is, to prevent secession. So in April he 
called for seventy-five thousand soldiers. All hope for 




JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



226 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



peace was now abandoned ; war was inevitable. Arkan- 
sas was forced to accept the issue and to fight either for 

the Union or for the 
Confederate States. 
Her decision was to 
join the Confederacy. 
Robert W. Johnson 
realized, as far back 
as 1854, what would 
be the result of the 
repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise ; and in 
the United States 
Senate he did all he 
could to prevent it. 
AVhen Mr. Lincoln 
was elected President, 
he thought that the 
South ought to se- 
cede. On his return 
to Arkansas he ad- 
vised this course. 
After Arkansas had 
joined the Confeder- 
acy, Mr. Johnson was 
sent to the Confederate Congress as Senator, and this 
position he held throughout the war. 




TOMB OF R. W. JOilASON AT 
LITTLE ROCK. 



ROBERT WARD JOHNSON. 227 

As soon as peace had been made, he returned to his 
plantation in Jefferson County. The war had cost him 
dearly, for it had left him heavily in debt. For two 
years he worked heroically to pay off his debts and to 
save his large plantation. Failing in this, he turned it 
over to his creditors ; and at the age of fifty-three, he 
began life again, a poor man. He moved to Washington 
City and formed a law partnership with Albert Pike. 
This relationship continued until 1878, when he returned 
to Little Rock, where he died the following year. 

Test Questions. 

Sketch the career of Robert W. Johnson before 1846. To 
what office was he then elected? How long did he serve in this 
capacity? Why did he not continue in it? Who were the par- 
ties in this struggle? What were the points of contention? 
Why did slavery exist in the South? Why had it been abol- 
ished in the North? What is meant by "Federal territory"? 
Over what Federal territory did the slavery agitation begin? 
What difference of view did the two sections take in regard to 
the Federal territory? Why? What efforts had been made to 
settle the quarrel? Why were they not successful? What side 
did the Republicans take? the Democrats? What candidates 
for President did these parties put up in 1860? What was the 
immediate cause of the war? What is secession? What was 
the attitude of Arkansas towards slavery and secession? 



Map Questions. 

Map of the United States.— Foint to each of the states of the 
Confederacy. Point to the state that gave the Republican 



228 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

candidate for President in 1860; the Democratic candidate; 
the President of the Confederacy. Where is Richmond? Show- 
on the map the territory from which slavery was excluded 
by the Missouri Compromise. Point to the states for which 
the Missouri Compromise was repealed. Locate the Union 
capital; the capital of the Confederacy. Show on the map the 
territory whose annexation opened the agitation about slavery. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 

1861-1865. 

In 1861, after Arkansas had seceded, the ]\Iilitary 
Board of the State called for ten thousand volunteers to 
defend us against ''the invading horde from the North." 
' ' To arms ! To arms ! ' ' was the trumpet blast. Runners 
all over the State bore the news of war and aroused the 
people to arms. In every hamlet and village so-ldiers 
were mustered in. Men paraded the streets, bonfires 
were lighted, and stirring speeches were made. Young 
orators delivered with burning zeal the fiery speech of 
Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty 
or give me death"; and the new 
Confederate flag was unfurled 
amidst the deafening shouts of 
the multitude. The war spii'it 
ran high. So intense was the feel- 
ing that it became dangerous to 
express sympathy for the general government, although 
the Union sentiment had been strong only a few days 
before. 




CONFEDER 



230 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



The people were led to believe that one Southerner 
could whip five Yankees. They were told that the 
Northerners would not fight; that they could not even 
handle a gun. One enthusiastic fellow at Searcy said 
that he could take the school girls and go out on a neigh- 
boring hill and keep back all the Yankees. Doubtless he 
changed his opinion of their fighting qualities before the 
close of the war. 

Enlistment went on rapidly. Speeches were not 
needed to spur on the people. Companies were rapidly 
formed ; regiments, hastily organized ; 
and batteries, quickly constructed. From 
all parts of the State these poorly armed 
and crudely organized bands hurried to 
the front, concentrating at Arkadelphia, 
Pine Bluff, Yellville, Springfield, 
and Little Rock. Before the end 
of the year Arkansas had sent to 
the front thirty thousand volun- 
teers, nearly half her voting pop- 
ulation; and before the close of 
the war, she added about twenty 
thousand more. 

But there was sadness as well as 
gladness in these preparations for war. At the parting 
hour, even the bravest heart lost courage as he realized 




FLAG OF THE UNION. 



ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 



231 



"the weight and woe of his errand." Love struggled 
with duty; and the most manly could not repress the 
sigh, the most courageous, restrain the tear. The heroic 
Avife, the sacrificing mother, the noble sister and sweet- 
heart, with a ' ' God bless you ! ' ' sent their loved ones into 
the awful dangers of war. How doubly dear did they 
seem as they marched away ! As the 
tramp, tramp, tramp, grew fainter 
and fainter, these resolute women 
stood valiantly waving their last fare- 
well, seeing but dimly through the 
mist of tears. Ah ! for so many, this 
was indeed the last farewell. 

Days of suspense followed. Days 
lengthened into weeks, weeks into 
months, and months into years; and 
yet too often there was no news from 
the dear ones at the front. Perchance 
it was the soldier on furlough who 
brought the first message. Though 
painful to him, it was often his duty to tell the anxious 
wife, of her husband's death at Shiloh; the trusting girl, 
of her hero's death while charging a battery at Chicka- 
mauga ; and the poor old father, of a son who had died 
of lingering disease in prison. Oh, the heartaches, the 
sorrows of those days ! So many homes were de- 
stroyed, so many hearts were broken, and so many 




A CONFEDERATE 
SOLDIER. 



232 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



hopes were blasted. War is terrible, carrying death 
and destruction in its path. 

For four long years these trying times continued. 

'There was much suffering from 
lack of food. The invading 
Northern armies often burned 
the home and destroyed the 
crops. What they did not de- 
stroy, they took away ; and wo- 
men and children were left 
without food or shelter. The 
enemy blockaded the coasts of 
the Confederate States and al- 
lowed nothing to be shipped in. 
It was almost impossible to get 
medicines. The women spun 
the thread and wove the cloth 
for their families. Hats and 
shoes could scarcely be had at 
any price. Coffee, tea, and 
meats were luxuries enjoyed 
only by the few. In 1863 a tur- 
key was worth twenty dollars, 
and a sheep fifty dollars in Confederate money. Sassa- 
fras tea was the chief beverage. Coffee was often made 
of parched okra seeds, parched rye, or sweet potatoes 
cooked to a crisp. Salt also was a rare article. Indeed, be- 




A UNION SOLDIER. 



ARKANSANS TO xVRMS. 



233 



fore long it could scarcely be had at any price. At times 
the people were compelled to make their own salt. This 
they did by a crude device. During certain seasons they 
hung their meat in their '^ smoke-houses. " The drip- 
pings from this meat thoroughly saturated the ground be- 
low with salt. They dug up this dirt, cast it into a vessel 
with a perforated bottom, placed this vessel over another 




TAPER MONEY ISSUED BY THE CONFEDERACY. 

and poured water on the dirt. This dissolved the salt 
and carried it into the vessel below. The water then 
evaporated and left the salt. 

The Southern soldiers wore the gray and were called 
Confederates; the Northern soldiers wore the blue and 
were called Federals or Unionists. The Union soldiers 
called the Confederates "Johnnies" or rebels, while they 
in turn were called "Yankees," or "Yanks" for brief. 

The Civil War developed many great generals on each 
side. Among the distinguished Federal generals were 



234 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Grant, Sheridan, Sherman, McClellan, Mead, Hooker, 
Thomas, Farragut, Burnside, and Roseerans. Among 
the Confederates were Lee, Jackson^ the two Johnstons, 
Bragg, Beauregard, Forrest, Longstreet, and Cleburne. 

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY. 

BY F. M. FINCH. 

By the flow of the inland river. 

Whence the fleets of iron have fled. 
Where the blades of the grave-grass quiver, 
Asleep are the ranks of the dead:— 
Under the sod and the dew, 

Waiting the judgment day; 
Under the one, the Blue, 
Under the other, the Gray. 

These in the robings of glory. 

Those in the gloom of defeat, 
All with the battle-blood gory. 
In the dust of eternity meet:— 
Under the sod and the dew. 

Waiting the judgment day; 
Under the laurel, the Blue, 
Under the willow, the Gray. 

From the silence of sorrowful hours. 
The desolate mourners go. 



ARKANSANS TO ARMS. 235 

Lovingly laden with flowers, 

Alike for the friend and the foe: — 
Under the sod and the dew, 

AVaiting- the judgment day; — 
Under the roses, the Blue, 
Under the lilies, the Gray. 



No more shall the war-cry sever, 

Or the winding rivers be red ; 
They banish our anger forever, 

When they laurel the graves of our dead ! 
Under the sod and the dew. 

Waiting the judgment day; 
Love and tears for the Blue, 
Tears and love for the Gray. 

Test Questions. 

Describe the call to arms; the preparation for war. What 
erroneous ideas of the Northerners did the Southern people 
have? Name the places at which troops gathered. How many 
men went to the front from Arkansas? 

Why were food and medicines scarce? What is meant by 
blockade? What did people use as substitutes for coffee? 
sugar? How did they get salt? By what name was the South- 
ern soldier called? the Northern? Who were some of the 
noted generals on each side? Can war be justified? Does 
more good or evil result from it? In what sense is war a 
school? 



236 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — ^Locate Searcy, Arkadelphia, Pine Bluff, 
Yellville, Springfield. Map of War in the West, p. 246. — Shiloh 
(Tenn.), Chickamauga (Tenn.). 



CHAPTER XXIX. 
DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 

1861-1865. 

The Arkansas troops made a record creditable alike to 
themselves and to their State. They fought bravely on 
nearly every battle-ground in the West, and on many in 
the East. Some of the men who enlisted in 1861 crossed 
the Mississippi and took part in the great struggles in 
Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Virginia ; while 
others marched through the northwestern part of our 
State where they joined the forces of Generals McCul- 
loch and Price. In that section many of the Arkansas 
troops spent the winter of 1861 and 1862. In the mean- 
time Federal troops had collected there. 

The first battle in Arkansas was fought March 7, 
1862, at Elkhorn, or Pea Ridge, in Benton County. Gen- 
eral Van Dorn was in command of the Confederate 
forces, fifteen thousand strong, and General Curtis, of 
the Federals, numbering about twenty thousand. This 
battle has been called the Buena Vista of the Civil War. 
Van Dorn said of his soldiers : ' ' The Old Guard of Na- 
poleon was not composed of better men. I have never in 



238 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 




STERLING PRICE. 



battle seen their equals." The Confederates held the 
field, but they paid dearly for their partial victory in the 
loss of General McCulloch and Colonel Mcintosh. 

General McCulloch was a Ten- 
nesseean by birth. Though a 
poor boy, he had pushed himself 
to the front. After going to 
Texas, he joined the "Texas 
Rangers," a body of horsemen 
noted for their dash and daring. 
He distinguished himself in the 
Mexican War. When the Civil 
War broke out, he enlisted in the 
service of the Confederate States 
and was made brigadier-general. 
A successful career at arms was 
opening before him when death 
suddenly cut it short. 

James Mcintosh was captain 
in the United States army at the 
outbreak of the war. He re- 
signed and enlisted in the Con- 
federate service as colonel of the 
Second Arkansas Mounted Rifles. At Pea Ridge he stood 
next in rank to General McCulloch ; and when that officer 
fell, he took his place. He was bravely leading a charge 
on the Federal lines when he was shot. Colonel Mcln- 




EARL VAN DORN. 



DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 



239 



tosh had the qualities of a leader; and, had he lived, he 
might have been classed with Cleburne and Hindman. 

After the battle of Pea Ridge, General Van Dorn 
moved south. He was soon ordered to take his army 
to Corinth east of the Mississippi. This left Arkansas 
unprotected, as there was at that time no Confederate 
army in the State. The Federal general, Curtis took ad- 




A CONFEDERATE CAVALRY CAMP. 



vantage of the situation and marched across north 
Arkansas to Batesville. Thence he intended to lead his 
forces against Little Rock ; but, meeting with a slight re- 
pulse at Cotton Plant, he changed his plans, marched to 
Helena, and occupied that town. 

Meanwhile General Hindman had been ordered to 



240 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



come to Arkansas and to raise an army for the protec- 
tion of the State. He oro^anized and drilled a strong 
force. While he was doing this, General Blount marched 
a Federal army into north Arkansas. General Hindman 
met him December 7, 1862, at Prairie Grove in Wash- 
ington County, where the second important battle in 
Arkansas was fought. It was a desperate contest. The 
Federals were driven from the field; but, as General 

Hindman 's supplies gave out, 
he withdrew south of the Ar- 
kansas River. 

General T. C. Hindman 
came to Arkansas from. Mis- 
sissippi in 1854 and located at 
\ Plelena. There he began the 
practice of law. He p-^eferred 
politics and was a bold cham- 
pion of the Democratic party. 
He was an eloquent speaker and one of the ablest cam- 
paigners and party leaders of the State. He might be 
called the orator of secession in Arkansas. His rise was 
rapid. He was elected to Congress in 1858 and again in 
I860; but he resigned his seat at the beginning of the 
war, and went out as colonel of the Second Arkansas In- 
fantry. In a short while he became major-general- Soon 
after the battle of Prairie Grove, he was ordered ^ast of 
the Mississippi, where he remained till the close of the 




THOMAS C. PIINDMAN. 



DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 



241 



war. Ilindman was an able general and a man of great 
physical courage. lie was assassinated at his home in 
Helena in 1868, while engaged in a hot political cam- 
paign. 

Another Arkansas man who went into the army as 
colonel and came back as major-general, was Thomas J. 
Churchill. He was in command at Arkansas Post when 
that place was captured in 1863 by General McClernard 
and Admiral Porter. General Holmes, who had suc- 
ceeded General Hindman 
as commander in the 
State, telegraphed Gen- 
eral Churchill: "Hold 
till help arrives, or till 
all are dead." General 
Churchill did hold out 
bravely for two daj^s, but 
he finally yielded to an 
overwhelming force. He 
was taken prisoner, but 
was later exchanged. In 
1880 he was chosen gov- 
ernor and served two 
terms. He died in 1905. 

Three other Arkansas officers — Patrick Cleburne, 
James F. Fagan, and Evander McNair— became major- 
generals. Many minor officers were distinguished for 




THOMAS J. CHURCHILL. 



242 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

their gallantry. Major W. E. Woodruff, Junior, was 
our ablest artilleryman. 

The most important event of the third year of the war 
in Arkansas was the occupation of Little Rock by Fed- 
eral troops. After General Holmes had made a vain 
attempt to retake Helena, General Steele of the Federal 
army began to march toward the Capital. On the way 
he met only slight resistance. As he approached the city, 
General Price, who had succeeded General Holmes, re- 
treated south. He felt unable to resist an attack. Gen- 
eral Steele entered Little Rock without opposition Sep- 
tember 10, 1863. This practically ended the war in Ar- 
kansas. While the contest went on a year and a half 
longer in other parts of the South, there was scarcely any 
more fighting in this State. 

However, two military forces occupied the State, divid- 
ing it almost equally. The Confederates held the coun- 
try to the south of the Arkansas River; and the Fed- 
erals, that to the north. Fort Smith, Van Buren, Little 
Rock, Pine Bluff, Fayetteville, Batesville, and Helena 
were in the hands of the Federals, who controlled the 
Arkansas River. The people throughout the State suf- 
fered much from robbers and murderers. Marauding 
bands wandered over the country, plundering, stealing, 
and killing. No power in the State could properly pro- 
tect life and property. 

You remember that Arkansas was reluctant to secede 



DISTINGUISHED ARKANSAS SOLDIERS. 243 

because of the strong Union feeling in the State. Many 
of those favoring the Union remained loyal to the central 
government all during the war. Some of the Unionists 
left the State for safety, as it was dangerous for a man 
to express loyal sentiments. After the Federals had 
occupied north Arkansas, these people felt freer because 
the army gave them protection. Many refugees returned 
to the State, and about five thousand white persons and 
as many negroes enlisted in the Union army. 

Test Questions. 

What record was made by the Arkansas troops? Where did 
the Arkansas troops fight? What commands were col- 
lected in northwest Arkansas? Name the places in the State 
at which battles occurred. Give the leading facts concerning 
the battle of Pea Ridge. Sketch the career of General Mc- 
Ciilloch; of Mcintosh. Where did Van Dorn go after the battle 
of Pea Ridge? What was the fortune of Arkansas Post? Give 
an account of the battle of Prairie Grove. Name the most 
noted generals on Arkansas ground. Give a sketch of General 
Hindman's career; of General Churchill's. What part in the 
war did Little Rock play? How many men enlisted from 
Arkansas in the Confederate army? in the Federal army? 
Why the difference? Why did not the Union men enlist at 
the beginning of the war? 

Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Pea Ridge, Batesville, Prairie 
Grove, Cotton Plant, Van Buren, Fayetteville. Trace on the 
map the route of General Curtis in going from Pea Ridge to 
Helena. Show the parts of Arkansas controlled after Septem- 
ber, 1863, by the Confederates; by the Federals. 



CHAPTER XXX. 
PATRICK CLEBURNE. 

The "Stonewall Jackson of the West/' 

1828-1864. 

Of the great Confederate generals, Jackson stands next 
to Lee in the affections of the Southern people. They 
admire his wonderful generalship and love his beautiful, 
unselfish Christian character. His name is a priceless 
heritage, not only to the South, but to the Nation, He 
was Lee's "right arm." He was as quick as lightning 
and as terrible as thunder. He ranks as one of the most 
brilliant and most daring military chieftains of history. 
It was his courage that saved the day at Manassas in 
Virginia and won for him the title "Stonewall." Vir- 
ginia gave to the Confederacy the "Stonewall Jackson 
of the East" ; but Arkansas has the honor of having fur- 
nished a soldier of similar fame, the "Stonewall Jack- 
son of the West. ' ' 

The man, who was thus distinguished in American 
history, was Patrick Cleburne (clay'-burii). He was born 
in 1828, in Cork, Ireland. His father was highly edu- 



PATRICK CLEBURNE. 



245 



cated and would have given his son an excellent educa- 
tion, had not death prevented. Young Cleburne wished 
to be a druggist, but he could not get a license, as the 
law in his country required all applicants to be ex- 
amined in Latin and Greek. Failing in this, he entered 
the English army. Soon afterward he came to America, 
where he found employment in a drug-store at Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. 

AVhile there, a drug firm of Helena, Arkansas, sent 
to his employers for a clerk. 
Mr. Cleburne was asked to 
take the position. He came 
to Helena in 1850, when he 
Avas twenty-two years old. He 
worked a month on trial ; 
soon, on account of his hon- 
esty and ability, he was given 
the entire management of the 
business. Later he became a 
partner. One evening by 
mere accident, at a meeting 

of the ^Masonic Lodge, he discovered his powers as a 
public speaker. He sold his interests in the drug-store 
for three thousand dollars and began the study of law. 
He was admitted to the bar and at the outbreak of the 
war was a rising young lawyer. 

Patrick Cleburne was anions: the first from Arkansas 




I'ATKKK CLEBURNE. 



246 



MAKERS OP ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



to volunteer for the Confederate army. He entered as a 
private in a company called the ''Yell Rifles," but was 
soon made captain. He showed such skill in managing 
men that he was promoted to brigadier-general ; and be- 
fore the close of 1862 he rose to the rank of major-gen- 
eral. Arkansas troops made up most of his brigade and 
division. He loved his men and cared for them ; they in 
turn were devoted to him. They would go wherever he 
led. In almost every important battle in Kentucky, 
Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, Cleburne 
and his troops w^ere to be found. 







U C K Y*'''''>!?'"°"-- ^'= J' ■- 

,ducah Bowling Greetv-^-^'^Z^_2-____ ? -JviRGIfJlA" 
"'Mill Spnng»>4^^^\\#^^K— 

■ E-y'E j# /■.'j><'"' ''NORT;H 

XChattanooaa ■ 4,\^^ ^■- ^^ 
Chickam^iga ^^^^^ 

^y A CAROLINA 



MAP SHOWING BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE WEST. 



At Shiloh he was in the hottest of the fight, and his 
brigade suffered more than any other engaged. At Rich- 
mond, Kentucky, he was severely wounded while leading 



PATRICK CLEBURNE. 



247 



a successful assault ; at Perryville, a horse was shot un- 
der him. 

It was in the battle of Chickamauga in Tennessee that 
he won his proud- 
est laurels. This 
was one of the most 
sharply contested 
struggles of the 
war, and there 
were great deeds 
of valor on both 
sides. Here it was 
that General Thom- 
as of the Federal 




army won the name of "Rock of Chickamauga," and 
General Cleburne that of "Stonewall Jackson of the 
AA^est." 

The Confederates had repeatedly assaulted an im- 
portant point on the Federal lines, and as repeatedly 
been repulsed with great loss. Late in the afternoon 
Cleburne was ordered to take the point. "We'll attend 
to them," was the remark of the Arkansas boys as they 
came on the battle-field. All were undaunted and self- 
possessed, some carelessly smoking. But grim determina- 
tion was stamped on every brow ; for they stood facing 
the ground where hundreds of their companions in arms 
had fallen during the day. It was ' ' theirs to do or die. ' ' 



248 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

When General Cleburne rose to his full height and 
thundered the command to charge, every man, with the 
deafening "rebel yell," leaped to the attack. Though 
hundreds were mowed down by the deadly fire of mus- 
ketry and cannon, his brave men rushed on, sweeping 
everything before them. AVithin fifteen minutes they 
had captured the Federal position and had taken eight 
hundred prisoners. They stood the conquerors and the 
heroes of Chickamauga. 

Perhaps the greatest services rendered by Cleburne 
to the Confederacy were at Lookout Mountain and Mis- 
sionary Ridge. At Missionary Ridge, his division was 
stationed at the right of the line. In the afternoon, the 
center was broken, and the center and the left wing be- 
came panic-stricken and fled. Cleburne and his men, 
ignorant of the flight of their comrades, resisted all at- 
tacks until late in the afternoon. Then the general 
learned of the rout of the rest of the army; and, with- 
drawing his troops, he placed them between the retreat- 
ing Confederates and the victorious foe. At Ringgold 
Gap in Tennessee, he held the Federal army at bay for a 
whole day, thus allowing the Southern army time to 
withdraw in safety. The Confederate Congress gave him 
a vote of thanks for his heroic conduct in saving the 
army from destruction. He distinguished himself also 
at Kennesaw Mountain. It was while he was gallantly 



PATRICK CLEBURNE. 



249 



leading an assault at Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 
1864, that he was killed. 

At the time of his death he was engaged to be mar- 
ried. He was buried near Franklin in the private bury- 
ing-ground of Ex-President Polk. After the war the 
Ladies' Memorial Association of Helena removed his 
remains to the Confederate cemetery at that place. 




CLEBL'RXES DEFENSE OF RINGUULD GAP 



Cleburne was one of the great military leaders of the 
war. On the battle-field he was fearless and self-pos- 
sessed ; he gave his orders with calmness even at the can- 
non 's mouth. Yet he could assault with the dash of the 
illustrious Jackson. His superiors always placed him at 



250 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

the front in an attack, and at the rear on a retreat. His 
brigade was called the "Terrible," and Cleburne himself 
was styled "The Lionhearted." General Hardee said 
of him, "When his division defended, no odds could 
break his lines; when it attacked, no numbers resisted 
its onslaught, save once — and there is the grave of 
Cleburne." 

General Cleburne was as great in peace as he was in 
war. He was true to his friends. On several occasions 
he risked his life to save that of a friend. For weeks 
he lay dangerously ill from a wound that he had received 
while defending General Hindman. His very presence 
was elevating, as he was pure in speech and habits. He 
never used profane or improper language, nor would 
he permit others to do so in his presence. His heart was 
full of love for his fellow-man, and he was generous and 
self-sacrificing to a fault. In politics he was a Demo- 
crat; in religion, an Episcopalian. 

During the yellow fever epidemic in Helena before 
the war, many people became alarmed and left the town. 
The doctors called for nurses, and for a while it seemed 
as if no one would respond to the call. Mr. Cleburne 
and Mr. Hindman volunteered their services. All 
through the long continuance of the yellow fever 
epidemic, these men went from house to house nursing 
the sick and burying the dead. 

In 1865, in less than a year after General Cleburne's 



PATRICK CLEBURNE. 251 

death, the terrible Civil War ended. The Federal forces 
were victorious, not because they were braver than the 
Southerners, but because they were far superior in num- 
bers and equipment. The war decided that a state can- 
not secede, and that slavery should be abolished in the 
United States. 



Test Questions. 

Give a sketch of the early life of Patrick Cleburne; of his 
promotions in the Confederate army. In what battles was he 
famous? What nickname was given him? Why was it appro- 
priate? Illustrate this by an account of his work on some 
battlefield. What was the end of his career? Where is his 
grave? What did General Hardee say of him? 

Tell something of Cleburne's life, as a civilian in Arkansas. 
What were the noble qualities of his character? 

Map Questions. 

Map of War in the West, p. 246. — Locate Cincinnati, Perry- 
ville, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Ringgold Gap, 
Kennesaw Mountain, Franklin, Richmond. Map of Arkansas. — 
Locate Helena. 



CHAPTER :S 
THE "CARPET-BAGGER." 

1868-1874. 

When the war closed in 1865, the armies of the Con- 
federacy and of the United States were disbanded and 
the soldiers returned home. Since the war had been 
waged chiefly in the South, no destruction of property 
had taken place in the North, and the victorious Federal 
soldiers on returning home found their families living 
with their usual comforts. Not so with the foot-sore Con- 
federates — who so often found ashes and ruins in place 
of the planter's mansion left in 1861. Their houses had 
been burned, their fields laid waste; their slaves had 
been freed, and their government overturned. But they 
did not become discouraged ; they went to work and tried 
to retrieve their lost fortunes. They had fought bravely 
for what they thought was right, and just as bravely did 
they now labor for the necessaries of life. Men and 
women who had never known common toil cheerfully ac- 
cepted the inevitable and did all kinds of manual labor. 

The work of reorganizing the government was begun 
in Arkansas sooner than in the other Southern states; 
for the war practically closed here in 1863 when General 



THE CARPET-BAGGER. 



253 



Steele occupied Little Rock. Early in 1864 the people 
who were loyal to the Union took steps to organize a 
loyal State government. Isaac Murphy, the only man 




A DESERTED PLANTATION AFTER THE WAR. 

who had voted against secession in the convention of 
1861, was chosen governor. 

During the remainder of the war there were two gov- 
ernments in Arkansas; the Union State government at 
Little Rock under the direction of Governor Murphy, 
and the Confederate State government at Washington, 
Arkansas, under the direction of Governor Flanagan. 
The Arkansas River divided the territory of these two 
governments. At the close of the war the Confederate 
government was discontinued, and Governor Murphy 
was left at the head of the State. 



254 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

He endeavored to restore good feeling and prosperity. 
He welcomed home the Confederate soldiers. He merely 
asked them to renew their allegiance to the Federal gov- 
ernment; and, on taking the oath of allegiance to the 
United States, they were allowed to return to their work 
in peace. For three years all went well. The governor 
was honest and capable— a worthy executive. AVhen he 
retired in 1868, he left a surplus in the treasury. Good 
feeling prevailed in the State, and the people were rap- 
idly recovering from the effects of the war. 

President Lincoln had said that the Southern States 
had never been out of the Union. He wanted them to 

set up loyal governments and to 
send representatives to Con- 
gress. He wished them to forget 
the war. Arkansas had done 
these things; but unfortunately 
for her and for our country, 
President Lincoln was killed, 
and men less wise and less tem- 

PRESIDENT JOHNSON. . , , 

perate came to rule our land. 
President Johnson, his successor, wanted to carry out Mr. 
Lincoln's plan, but he was not tactful. With the excep- 
tion of a few leaders. President Johnson pardoned those 
who had fought against the Union. In other Southern 
states he organized governments like that in Arkansas. 




THE CARPET-BAGGER. 255 

Conditions were rapidly improving when a difference 
arose between President Johnson and Congress with ref- 
erence to the dealings of the Federal government with the 
South. The quarrel became so bitter that Congress set 
aside President Lincoln's wise plan and adopted one of 
its own. This gave rise to much trouble and again stirred 
up bitter feelings between the North and the South. 

Congress refused to receive into its membership the 
men sent from Arkansas and from other Southern states, 
and passed some very unwise laws. One of these laws 
divided the South into military districts, over which were 
placed Federal troops ; another gave the negroes the right 
to vote, while it denied the right to many of the best 
white people, the Confederate soldiers. 

The negroes were ignorant and were unfitted either to 
vote or to hold office. Besides, it was not wise to place 
the former slaves in power over their old masters. The 
Union generals who were put in command in Arkansas 
tried, for the most part, to do their duty ; but in spite of 
all they could do, there was much disorder and even 
bloodshed. 

The negroes and a few whites elected members to a 
constitutional convention which met in 1868 and estab- 
lished a new government in accordance with the new plan 
of Congress. An entirely new set of officers was elected, 
a few of whom were negroes. This change in government 
is called Reconstruction. 



256 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



]\Iost of the new State officers were either Union sol- 
diers, or adventurers from the North who had come 
South after the war. The latter were called "carpet- 
baggers," because they were said to have nothing when 
they came except what they could carry in a carpet- 
bag. This explains why the name ''carpet-bag" is ap- 
plied to the government of this period. These people 

soon acquired a strong in- 
fluence over the negro, 
who, on account of his ig- 
norance, was easily duped. 
The carpet-baggers told 
him that they had come 
from the North, that they 
had freed him from bond- 
age, and that they were 
going to see that he got 
justice. But most of these 
people were not the ne- 
ISAAC MURPHY, UNION COVER- gro 's fricuds. They were 

NOR OF ARKANSAS. . , . i • ^ ^ 

Simply using him to ad- 
vance their own selfish interests. They stirred up 
trouble between the whites and the negroes. The former 
slave was made to believe that his master had wronged 
him. He was told that the government was going 
to take his master's land, and that it would give to every 
negro a mule and forty acres of land. These prom- 




THE CARPET-BAGGER. 257 

ises spoiled the negro ; for they made him impudent and 
idle. He turned to petty stealing for a livelihood. It 
was very unfortunate that Arkansas should have fallen 
into the hands of the carpet-baggers who were in no sense 
true representatives of the North. 

The government in their hands was hurtful ; for many 
of the officials were dishonest and extravagant. They 
said they wanted to improve the country ; so they issued 
State bonds to aid in building railroads and a levee along 
the Mississippi. The people were heavily taxed ; and the 
cities, the counties, and the State were burdened with 
debts. The carpet-bag government in less than six years 
ran the State into debt over seven millions of dollars. 

Besides this, the people complained that the governor 
abused his power. In the presidential election of 1868 
he deprived several counties of the privilege of voting 
and declared martial law in fourteen counties. He said 
that life and property in these localities were not safe, 
and that it was necessary to establish military govern- 
ment in order to preserve order. He divided the counties 
into four districts and over each placed a commander 
with a considerable armed force. Some of these soldiers 
were wicked men ; they robbed many people, and even 
burned the homes of some. These disturbances caused 
great dissatisfaction. We shall learn in the next chapter 
how the people overthrew this government. 

The most conspicuous man in Reconstruction days in 



258 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Arkansas was General Powell Clayton. At the outbreak 
of the Civil War he enlisted in the Union army from 

Kansas and came to Little 
Rock with General Steele. 
For his gallantry he was 
made brigadier-general 
and was placed in com- 
mand at Pine Bluff. At 
this point he repulsed an 
attack made by General 
Marmaduke. 

After the war he mar- 
ried and settled on a 
plantation in Jefferson 
County. He took an ac- 
tive part in politics and 
showed great ability as a party leader. In 1868 he 
was elected by the Republicans to succeed Isaac Murphy 
as governor, and a few years later he was sent to the 
United States Senate. He is still (1905) the leader of 
his party in Arkansas. 




POWELL CLAYTON. 



Test Questions. 

What conditions did the Federal soldier find on his return 
home after the war? the Confederate soldier? Why the dif- 
ference? After the war, what was the first duty of the Federal 
government toward the South? Was this necessary for the 
North? Why? When did the work of reorganizing begin in 



THE CARPET-BAGGER. ' 259 

Arkansas? Why did it begin so early? What is the story of 
the government of Arkansas during the latter part of the war? 
Give a sketch of Governor Murphy's life and administration. 
What was President Lincoln's plan of restoring the Southern 
states? Why was it not carried out? Tell what President 
Johnson did; what Congress did. Was it right to give the 
negro the right to vote and to disfranchise the Confederate 
soldier? Why? What is meant by Reconstruction? Who was 
the carpet-bagger and why was he so called? What harm did 
he do? What was the carpet-bag government? What did it 
do? What are bonds? What complaints were made against 
the governor? What reason did he assign for his course? 
What is the militia? What is its duty? Give a sketch of Gen- 
eral Clayton's career. 

Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Point out the territory under each or the 
State governments in Arkansas during the last year of the war. 
Name and locate the capital of each. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 
ELISHA BAXTER. 

1827-1899. 

Many men, feeling that they were wronged by the 
carpet-bag government and by the misconduct of the 
negroes, organized for their protection secret societies 
called Ku Klux Klans. Many good citizens joined the 
Klans. Its members met at night in some out-of-the-way 
place and transacted all business. They wore long white 
robes, card-board hats, and masks; and as they rode 
through the country at midnight they presented a 
ghostly appearance. 

The negroes said that these Ku Klux were the spirits 
of dead Confederate soldiers returned to punish them. 
They told frightful stories of the wonderful doings of 
these ghosts, such as the drinking of a bucket of water 
without taking it from the mouth ; passing through the 
tops of houses, and then riding headless through the 
country, carrying their heads in their hands. 

If a negro gave any trouble by his impudence, idleness, 
or thieving, he was visited by the Klan, flogged, and 
warned of a worse punishment if the offense were re- 



ELISHA BAXTER. 



261 



peated. Sometimes an obnoxious carpet-bagger was 
called upon and whipped. He was ordered to do right 
or to leave the country. Such visits were always made at 
night, and the men were always disguised. These steps 
were taken by the whites for the purpose of stopping 




GHOSTLY PUNISHMENT BY THE KU KLUX KLANS. 



many of the evils from which they were suffering. The 
Klans doubtless did much good at first ; but later some of 
them fell under the control of reckless young men. 
The organization lost its usefulness, and did much harm. 
During this period the Republican party was in power 



262 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



in Arkansas. There were two wings of the party; the 
native wing, controlled by old citizens of the State, and 
the carpet-bag wing, controlled by men who had come 
here during the war or just at its close. Most of the 
leaders of the native wing had been AA^higs before the 
w^ar. At first the two divisions worked together; but as 
the time passed there was friction between them. The 
carpet-bag element controlled the negro vote and gave 

very few offices to the na- 
tive wing. Because of 
this, the breach between 
the parties widened, and 
in 1872 both factions put 
out a ticket for governor ; 
the carpet-baggers nomi- 
nating Elisha Baxter, 
and the natives, Joseph 
Brooks. 

Mr. Baxter was a 
North Carolinian by birth. 
He came to Arkansas in 
1852 and settled at Bates- 
ville. Being a Whig in 
politics he opposed seces- 
sion. Most of the Union 
men in the State had belonged to this party before 
the war. After the war they helped to reorganize the 




ELISHA BAXTER. 



ELISHA BAXTER. 263 

government, and later they aided in overthrowing the 
carpet-bag rule. 

When the war broke out Mr. Baxter did not join either 
army; and, like many other Union men, he had to go 
north. He was captured by the Confederates in Missouri 
and sent to Little Rock. General Holmes ordered that 
he be tried for treason. He was not guilty ; but, fearing 
for his life, he made his escape. Soon afterward he 
raised a Union regiment and took command at Bates- 
ville. 

In 1864 he was elected to the Supreme Court of the 
State. Later he was chosen to represent Arkansas in the 
United States Senate, but he was not allowed to take his 
seat. After the war he was circuit judge for some time. 
He was not a carpet-bagger, although he was nominated 
for governor by that party. By selecting him this party 
hoped to get the support of the older citizens, as Mr. 
Baxter had lived in the State for many years and was 
highly respected. 

His opponent, Joseph Brooks, had come from Ohio 
during the war as chaplain of a negro regiment. He was 
a forcible public speaker, a great debater, and a man 
of wonderful endurance. He had at first supported the 
carpet-bag government, but later he opposed it. He 
wielded a strong influence over the negroes, and it was 
chiefl}^ for this reason that the native wing nominated 
him for governor, hoping thereby to obtain the negro 



264 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



vote. So in the race for governor in 1872 the carpet-bag 
wing of the Republican party had for their candidate an 

old citizen of Arkansas, 

and the native wing a 
man who had been a car- 
pet-bagger. 

A vigorous campaigrf 
was conducted on both 
sides, and feeling ran 
high. Most of the Demo- 
crats supported Mr. 
Brooks, because he repre- 
sented the native wing. 
Each party claimed the 
election of its candidate, 
but the legislature de- 
clared Mr. Baxter elected. 
He was inaugurated as 
governor the following year. ]\Ir. Brooks contested the 
election, but without avail. 

Mr. Baxter was an honest man ; so when he went into 
office he told the people that he would favor no class, 
but would execute the laws in the interest of all, as he 
was governor of the whole State. He soon showed that 
he meant what he said. He opposed some bills that his 
party in the legislature proposed, because these measures 
would place heavy burdens upon the people. He offended 




JOSEPH BROOKS. 



ELISHA BAXTER. 



265 



the leaders of his party by refusing to appoint their 
friends to office, and they vigorously protested against 
such proceedings and threatened to impeach him. The 
undaunted governor replied, ''If impeached for cause, 
I shall submit; if without cause, I shall disperse the 
tribunal with the bayonet." 

When they found that they could not use him as a 
tool, the leaders of the party deserted him and went over 




"LADY BAXTER. " 

An old Confederate gun abandoned when the Federals took Little Rock 
in 18()3, and rescued and used hy the Baxter forces in /87^. 



to Brooks, who was still contesting the election. In the 
meantime the Democrats who had voted for Brooks went 



266 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

over to the support of Baxter because they saw that he 
was making a good governor. 

In April, 1874, Brooks got an order from an inferior 
court to expel Governor Baxter. When the governor re- 
fused to step down and out, Mr. Brooks and his follow- 
ers ejected him and took possession of the office. This 
act was the beginning of what is called the Brooks-Bax- 
ter AVar. It lasted one month. Although a few men 
were killed, there were no regular battles. 

After Governor Baxter was driven out of office, he 
went to St. John's Military College, a few blocks away. 
There he asked Colonel Gray for protection. As soon 
as Colonel Gray had shown the Governor a room, he or- 
dered the drum-call. When his student cadets assembled 
in front of the college, he told them what had happened ; 
he then asked all those who were willing to defend the 
Governor to step forward three paces. Every boy 
stepped to the front. That night they guarded the Gov- 
ernor and allowed no one to pass except by special per- 
mission. 

Both Mr. Brooks and Mr. Baxter claimed to be gov- 
ernor. The Republicans rallied to the standard of 
Brooks, and the Democrats from all over the State came 
to the support of Baxter, Brooks' army was stationed 
at the state house, and Baxter's at a neighboring hotel. 
These armed forces faced each other for a month, and 
war might have followed if United States troops had not 



ELISHA BAXTER. 267 

been posted between the hostile forces. Finally Presi- 
dent Grant said that the legislature was the rightful 
body to decide who was governor. The legislature met 
and again declared ]\Ir. Baxter governor. Whereupon 
the Brooks forces dispersed and the Governor reentered 
the state house. This ended the trouble. 



Test Questions. 

What was the Kii Kliix Klan? Who were its members? 
What was its object? What were its customs? Were the 
people right in organizing the Klan? What two wings of the 
Republican party were in Arkansas during Reconstruction 
days? Yv^ho controlled each? Why could they not work to- 
gether? Of what partj' had most of the Union men of Arkan- 
sas been members before the war? Give a sketch of the life 
of Elisha Baxter. Was Baxter justifiable in breaking jail? 
Sketch the life of Joseph Brooks. Why did the native wing 
nominate a carpet-bagger? Why did the other wing nominate 
an old citizen? What body declared Baxter elected? What 
body now counts the vote for governor? How did Governor 
Baxter administrate the government? With what result to 
the State? to his party? to himself? What changes took place 
in the supporters of Brooks and Baxter? Why? Give an 
account of the Brooks-Baxter War. How was it settled? What 
do you think of Governor Baxter? of the carpet-bagger? Give 
the later history of Governor Baxter. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 

1832-1899. 

In the work of overthrowing carpet-bag rule and of 
placing the people again in control of the State govern- 
ment, Governor Baxter had many able assistants. Some 
of the most prominent were A. H. Garland, U. M. Rose, 
H. C. Caldwell, Benjamin Johnson, R. C. Newton, T. J. 
Churchill, Elbert H. English, and F. W. Compton. 
These men gave him loyal support and advice. Without 
their aid, he would have failed. They were true patriots, 
and they should not be forgotten. At Washington City 
Albert Pike, Robert W. Johnson, and W. W. W^ilshire 
effectively presented the people's cause to President 
Grant. 

As a return for such faithfulness, Mr. Baxter was de- 
termined to establish a government that would do away 
with the evils of carpet-bag government and give the 
people their rights. Many of the old Confederate sol- 
diers had not heen allowed to vote or to hold office. The 
Governor proposed to right this wrong. For this reason 
he approved an act of the legislature calling a constitu- 



AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 



269 



tional convention. Many of tlio ablest men in the State 
were elected to this convention. They framed the con- 
stitution under which we live. By this constitution, 
all men were allowed to vote, and nearly all officers were 
to be elected by the people instead of being appointed by 
the governor. The legislature, the cities, and the coun- 
ties were forbidden to issue bonds or to levy heavy 
taxes. 

The Governor then ordered an election of of^- 
cers under the new con- 



stitution. This he did, 
despite the fact that he 
would lose half his term, 
as he had been elected for 
four years and had served 
but two. The Democrats, 
appreciating his services, 
offered him the nomina- 
tion for governor, al- 
though he was a Republi- 
can, lie declined the 
honor, saying that if he 
accepted the nomination 
it would appear that he 
had done what he had in 





AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 



order to get the support of the Democrats. lie had 
done what he honestly thought to be right, and he 



270 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

asked for no reward. After Mr. Baxter's refusal, the 
nomination was given to Augustus H. Garland; and he 
was elected without opposition. 

Mr. Garland's parents moved from Tennessee to Wash- 
ington in Hempstead County in 1833, when their son 
was only a year old. The father died soon after their 
arrival in Arkansas. The mother, who was a strong 
woman both mentally and morally, gave her son an 
elementary education at home and then sent him to 
college at Bardstown, Kentucky — the school that has 
given us several of our most prominent men. After com- 
pleting his college course, Mr. Garland studied law and 
entered upon the practice of his chosen profession at his 
home town, Washington. This place has furnished 
Arkansas four Supreme Court judges — Daniel Ringo, 
Edward Cross, John Eakin, and B. B. Battle — and three 
governors — Dan W. Jones, A. H. Garland, and James 
K. Jones, the last two of whom later became United 
States Senators. 

In 1856 Mr. Garland moved to Little Rock. Being a 
young man of strong mind and of great energy, he rap- 
idly advanced in his profession. He was a Whig in poli- 
tics; and, in the Secession Convention of 1861, though 
only twenty-nine years of age, he took a leading part 
among the conservatives in opposing and in preventing 
radical action at the first session. But when war became 
inevitable, he reluctantly yielded and voted for secession. 



AUGUSTUS H. GARLAND. 



271 



Throughout the war he was one of Arkansas' representa- 
tives in the Confederate Congress, serving part of that 
time in the lower house and part in the Senate. 

At the close of the war President Johnson pardoned 
Mr. Garland, who resumed the practice of law in Little 
Rock. About this time Congress passed a law prohibit- 
ing those who had aided the South in the War of Seces- 
sion from practicing in the United States Courts. This 
was a heavy blow to the leading lawyers of the South, 
depriving them, as it did, of one of their chief means of 
support. All Southerners 
felt that the law was un- 
just and some thought 
that Congress had no 
right to pass it. Mr. Gar- 
land was of this opinion, 
and he resolved to test its 
validity. He carried a 
ease to the Supreme Court 
of the United States. He 
argued that the law was 
invalid and won his case. 
The court set aside the 
law because it violated the constitution. This was a 
brilliant victory for Mr. Garland, and it won for him 
a national reputation as a lawyer. 

In 1867 Mr. Garland was elected to the United States 




WASHINGTON COUNTY COURT- 
HOUSE AT FAYETTEVILLE. 



272 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Senate, but lie was not allowed to take his seat, as Con- 
gress refused at this time to admit representatives from 
the South. In 1874 when Mr. Brooks expelled Governor 
Baxter and seized the state house, Mr. Garland espoused 
the Governor's cause and was appointed deputy secre- 
tary of state. Perhaps he had as much or more than any- 
one else to do in laying the plans and directing the move- 
ments which resulted in restoring Governor Baxter to 
power. 

Later, as governor, Mr. Garland pursued a broad and 
liberal policy. Feeling ran high when the carpet-bag 
government was overthrown and there was a demand for 
punishment of the leaders. But Governor Garland al- 
lowed neither persecutions nor prosecutions. He admin- 
istered the government with so much tact that the 
w^ounds of the past w^ere rapidly healed and good feeling 
restored. He said that when he Avent into office there 
w^as not money enough in the treasury to buy kindling to 
start a fire. The people however began to rebuild their 
lost fortunes ; they restored prosperity to the State ; and 
they again filled the treasury. So hopeful Avere the 
people that the legislature appropriated money to be 
used in displaying the resources of Arkansas at the great 
Centennial Exposition held at Philadelphia, in 1876. 
Arkansas took several prizes on her cotton, corn, and 
timber exhibits. 

In 1877 Mr. Garland was elected to the United States 



AUGUSTUS II. GARLAND. 



273 



Senate, and at the expiration of his first term he was re- 
elected. By his preeminent abilities he restored the 
glory of former days when Arkansas was represented in 
the Senate by Ashley and Sevier. He enjoyed the dis- 
tinction of being one of the great constitutional lawyers 
in the Senate. In 1884 President Cleveland appointed 
him Attorney-General of the United States — a marked 
honor alike for Mr. Garland and for his State, as it was 
the first and the only time that Arkansas has been repre- 
sented in the President's Cabinet. 

When Mr. Garland retired from public life in 1889, he 
located in Washington City where he practiced law until 
his death in 1899. He was 
pleading a case before the Su- 
preme Court when the end 
came. In closing his argu- 
ment he raised his hand and 
said, "And this is our con- 
tention," when suddenly his 
tongue ceased to speak, his 
lips refused to move ; he stag- 
gered and fell to the floor. lie 
soon breathed his last. It was 
in this same room that Sena- 
tor Ashley in 1848 was stricken with the illness from 
Avhich he quickly died. 

Mr. Garland in many respects was a truly great man. 




PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. 



274 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

He had a vigorous intellect, was a forcible public 
speaker, and a profound lawyer. He was generous in 
his nature, simple in his habits, and had a contempt for 
sham. He was a man of convictions, and he had the 
courage to express them. He was jealous of the honor of 
his State ; and, in 1880, he spoke in nearly every county, 
opposing with all his might the Fishback Amendment, 
which repudiated the "Holford Bonds." He argued 
that it was neither honest nor honorable for the State 
to refuse to pay these bonds. 

Test Questions. 

Who assisted Governor Baxter in his fight for the rights of 
the people? What was Mr. Baxter's policy after he was rein- 
stated? What is meant by a constitutional convention? How 
many such conventions has Arkansas had? Give the date of 
each. How are the members of a convention selected? What 
is their duty? What changes in the government were made 
by the convention of 1874? What is the difference between a 
constitutional convention and a legislature? 

Sketch the life of A. H. Garland. How did he win reputation 
as a lawyer? To what high office did this lead him? What 
evidences of prosperity in the State were there during his ad- 
ministration? Give the circumstances of his death. What is 
your estimate of Mr. Garland? 



Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Locate Washington. Map of the United 
States. — Locate Philadelphia. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 
THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 

Perhaps no other state in the Union has been so mis- 
represented as Arkansas. She has had much bad adver- 
tising-, and the ignorant beyond her borders have wrong 
ideas of her and her people. By such people she is sup- 
posed to be the home of shiftless squatters, robbers, and 
cutthroats, who make the bowie-knife and the pistol the 
law of the land. Probably in the early days there was 
some excuse for such ignorance. 

The story of ''The Arkansas Traveler" is largely re- 
sponsible for this wrong impression of our State. The 
story goes that a wealthy planter of Chicot County, San- 
ford C. Faulkner, lost his way in the Bayou Mason coun- 
try and by chance came upon an old, leaky, dilapidated 
log hut. The squatter seated on a whiskey-barrel under 
the eaves of his cabin, was sawing on a squeaky old 
fiddle. The now famous colloquy ensued. 

Mr. Faulkner, pointing to a road near by, said, 
"Where does that road go?" 

"It ain't gone no whar since IVe been in these dig- 
gins," replied the squatter. 



276 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Then Mr. Faulkner asked for lodgino^ for the night 
and received the answer : ' ' Thar ain 't but one dry spot 

in this house, an' 
me an' my ol 'o- 
man has to have 
that." 

"AVhy don't 
you cover your 
house?" was the 
next question. 

' ' Waal, when 
it's rainin' I 
can't; an' when 
it's dry, I don't 
need to." 

Failing- in his 
efforts to obtain 
hospitality, Mr. 
Faulkner asked 
his friend to lend 

CYPRESS SWAMl. IN CHICOT COUNTY. j^j,^^ j^j^ ^^^^^^^_ 

Pleased that his '' companion in arms" should receive 
attention, he handed it to Mr. Faulkner, who played so 
well that he won the heart of the surly old fellow ; and 
that night he was given the one bed and the one dry 
spot in the house. 

This story, with additions full of coarse humor, has 




THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 



277 



been printed in every jest book and has causea peals of 
laughter. It has been set to music, and we all have en- 
joyed its melody. The scene has been painted, and it 
never fails to draw a crowd. But few colloquies are so 
famous, and perhaps none has afforded the public so 
much pleasure. While it has given the world much 
amusement, it has injured Arkansas. Through it the 




A MODEUN FAliMllUUSE. 



State been held up to ridicule, and the people at large 
have pictured the typical Arkansan as a reproduction 
of the shiftless squatter in buckskin breeches and coon- 
skin cap, seated by his leaky hut, sawing a fiddle. What 
was written in fun, has been accepted as truth. 

Mr. Faulkner may have met such a character, but he 



278 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

is not a true type of the Arkansas pioneer. Our early- 
settlers were industrious and progressive Anglo-Saxons 
from the older states. Their cabins were covered ; they 
were neat and clean ; their fields were cultivated ; and 
they themselves were kind, hospitable, upright people. 
As time progressed, the pioneer also progressed. His 
cabin became a double log-house with side rooms. He 
and his neighbors built schoolhouses and churches, and 
supported them. 

If the squatter ever existed, he has disappeared. In 
place of the sturdy pioneer, we have his grandson, who 
is moved by the spirit of his forefathers. He has 
widened his fields, drained his ponds, and planted his 
orchards. He has a beautiful modern home, well fur- 
nished. His son is at the State University ; his daughter, 
just home from college, has brought with her the refining 
influence of culture. 

The Avorld is beginning to realize that Arkansas is a 
state of marvelous resources. She is a great agricultural 
state. Her soil is new and fertile, and it is not surpris- 
ing that most of her people are on the farm. Levees, 
ditches, and canals have redeemed the alluvial lands along 
the St. Francis, the Arkansas, and the Mississippi rivers. 
In 1900 her farms were valued at one hundred and 
thirty-five millions of dollars and turned out farm 
products worth nearly eighty millions more. Her crops 
are varied. She produces corn almost enough for home 



THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 



279 



use, is fifth state in the Union in the quantity of her cot- 
ton yield, raises a large potato crop, and has successfully 
grown small grain. The Ozark region produces fruit 
equal to the world's best — apples, peaches, grapes, and 




Courtesy of 11 . G". ]'inci>iJiclhr. 

IRRIGATED RICE FARM AT LONOKE. 

strawberries, in large quantities; and every year thou- 
sands of acres are being added to the orchards of the 
State. Fruit-growing is developing into a great in- 
dustry. 



280 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



Our State has an almost inexhaustible timber supply. 
Vast forests occupy over three-fourths of her area. 
Walnut, gum, oak, and hickory abound north of the 
Arkansas River. In the south is an immense pine belt, 
and cypress swamps cover most of the eastern part of the 
State. Her hard wood, both for variety and richness, is 





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VIEW OF HOT SPRINGiS. SHOWING ROW OF BATH HOUSES 

TO THE LEFT. 



unexcelled. The lumber and timber products of the 
State yield annually nearly twenty-five millions of dol- 
lars, almost one-third the value of her total farm 
products. 

At Eureka, Heber, and Hot Springs, we have discov- 



THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 



281 



ered health-giving fountains, as famous now as that for 
which de Soto sought so diligently. Hundreds of cures 
are effected yearly at these springs, and by bringing peo- 
ple from afar they have done much to make the re- 
sources of Arkansas known among the states. 

Nature has indeed lavished her gifts upon our State. 
Beneath her soil is deposited untold wealth, and it is here 
that the Spaniard might have found his El Dorado. 




Courtesy of A. H. Purdue. 

GOVEIIXMEXT LOCK AND DAM AT BATESVILLE. 



]\Iarion, Boone, Newton, Searcy, and Baxter counties are 
floored with zinc. In order to reach this rich ore, thQ 



282 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



railroads are tunneling mountains and spanning chasms. 
Mining towns are springing up on all sides. The vast 
coal fields of Sebastian and Johnson counties are capable 
of supplying all the factories of the country. 




Courtesy of A. H. Purdue. 

SAW MILL AT DANVILLE. 

Arkansas, with her abundance of raw^ material, her 
coal and her railroad facilities, promises to become a 
great manufacturing state. Her growth in this respect 
is remarkable. At the outbreak of the Civil War, 
the number of manufacturing plants in the State was 
only 518. In 1900 there were 4,794. The money invested 
in such plants rose during this period of forty years 
from one and a third millions of dollars to over thirty- 



THE ARKANSAS TRA\^LER. 



283 



five millions. In 1900 the value of all our manufactured 
products was forty-five millions of dollars, representing 
an increase of one hundred per cent, in ten years. A 
large part of this wealth is represented by the output 
from wool and cotton factories, foundries, and flour mills. 

Our State is making equally rapid progress in educa- 
tion. Though our free school system has grown up since 
the war, schools are 
open in every dis- 
trict, and free 
school privileges 
are afforded to 
every boy and girl 
of school age re- 
gardless of color. 
In 1902 there were 
enrolled in these 
schools 340,695 
children, and the 
schools were open 
about ninety-one 
days in the year. 
Our people the same year raised for their schools 
over one and a half million dollars and had twice 
that sum invested in school houses and equipments. 

While the State has thus been making large outlays 
for common schools, she has provided also for the higher 




SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AT LITTLE 
ROCK. 



284 



MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 



education of her people. She is maintaining the Univer- 
sity at Fayetteville for the white population, and the 
Branch Normal College at Pine Bluff for colored people. 
Both of these are good schools and taken together are 
educating more than one thousand young men and young 
women. The State is moreover caring for her unfor- 
tunates. She has erected and equipped at Little Rock 




INSTITUTE FOR DEAF MUTES AT LITTLE ROCK. 



splendid buildings for the blind, the deaf mute, and the 
feeble-minded. At the hands of competent teachers, 
the blind and the deaf mute receive the best instruction, 
while the feeble-minded are properly cared for. The 
State has moreover provided a home near Little Rock 
for disabled Confederate soldiers and sailors, and is pen- 
sioning all needy Confederate veterans. 



THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER. 285 

The ''Arkansas Traveler" has passed. Should he re- 
turn, he could easily find his way out of the swamps ; for 
we have three thousand miles of railroad. He would 
discover that our people are the equal of any. Why 
should they not be ? They are drawn from all sections ; 
states north, east, south and west have sent their best. 
Less than seven per cent of our people live in cities of 
more than 4,000 inhabitants, and only five per cent are 
of foreign parentage. Contrast with this the fact that 
ninety-one per cent of the people of Rhode Island live in 
cities, and that three-fourths of those in Minnesota are 
of foreign parentage. We have, therefore, a people of 
good American stock, and great opportunity for develop- 
ment. We ought to be proud of our State, for she is on 
the eve of great things. Let us resolve to have a share in 
her"progress and to make her the great State that she is 
capable of being. 



Test Questions. 

What has hitherto been the reputation of Arkansas beyond 
her borders? How did this idea grow? How can it be dis- 
proved? "What are Arkansas' natural resources? What is 
meant by "alluvial lands"? by the Bayou Mason country? In 
what besides natural resources does the wealth of a state con- 
sist? What wealth of this kind has Arkansas? In what other 
ways has Arkansas progressed? What is meant by "manufac- 
turing plants"? What can you contribute to the progress of 
Arkansas? 



286 MAKERS OF ARKANSAS HISTORY. 

Map Questions. 

Map of Arkansas. — Find the cotton belt of Arkansas; the 
grain section: the fruit section; the timber regions; the 
swamps; the redeemed alluvial lands. Locate Eureka, Heber, 
Hot Springs, the Bayou Mason country. 



KEY TO PRONUXCIATION. 



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INDEX. 



Academies, 146 
Adams, John Q., 122 
Advocate, The, 119 
Agriculture in Arkansas, 278 
Arkansas, part of Louisiana, 
40, 47; part of Missouri, 47, 
76; organized as a territory, 
77, 80; admitted as a state, 
132, 133; secedes, 224, 225; 
is occupied by two armies, 
242; is reconstructed, 253- 
258; present government 
formed, 268, 269 
Arkansas Gazette, 111, 118, 119 
Arkansas Post, founded by de 
Tonti, 35, 39; population of, 
in 1819, 116; post-office at, 
92; battle of, 241 
"Arkansas Traveler," the, 275 
Arrington, Alfred W., 188 
Ashley, Chester, early life of, 
213, 214; as a lawyer, 102, 
215, 216; in the United 
States Senate, 216, 217; 
death of, 218, 219 

Banking, Wild-cat, 161; evil 
effects of, 162, 165; Arkan- 
sas' experience in, 163-165 

Baptist Church, the, 148, 149, 
157, 158 

Bates, James W., 101, 198 



Battle, B. B., 270 
Baxter, Elisha, early life of, 
262; in the War, 263; as 
governor, 264, 265; Brooks- 
Baxter War, 266; aids in 
overthrowing carpet-bag 
rule, 268, 269 
Bertrand, Charles P., 119 
Bienville, Governor, 35 
Boating, pioneer, 64-67; cor- 
delling, 67; dangers of, 68, 
69 
Breckenridge, John C, 224 
Brooks, Joseph, 263-267 

Calumet. 23, 24, 33 
Camp-meeting, 155, 156 
Capital, at St. Louis, 76; at 
Arkansas Post, 81, 84; re- 
moved to Little Rock, 84 
Capitol building, 124-126 
Carpet-bagger, 252, 256, 261 
Catholic Church, the, 36, 62, 

157 
Cayas, 16 
Cherokees, 60, 169 
Choctaws, 60, 169 
Churchill, T. J., 241, 268 
Civil War,, quarrel over slav- 
ery, 221-223; war spirit in 
Arkansas, 229; enlistment 
of troops in, 230, 243; dev- 



290 



INDEX. 



astation caused by, 232, 
252; generals of, 233, 234; 
Arkansas troops in, 237; in 
Arkansas, 237, 240, 241; Ar- 
Ivansas divided between two 
armies in, 242; end of, 250- 
252 
Clay, Henry, 122 
Clayton, Powell, 258 
Cleburne, Patrick, early life 
of, 244, 245; at Helena, 245; 
joins Confederate army, 
246; at Shiloh, 246; at 
Chickamauga, 247; at Look- 
out Mountain, 248; death 
of, at Franklin, 249; as a 
general, 249, 250; character 
of, 250 
Colleges in Arkansas, 147-149 
Confederacy, formed, 225, 229 
Constitution, of 1836, 133; of 
1864, 253; of 1868, 255; of 
1874, 269 
Conway, Elias N., 121; audi- 
tor, 171; author of home- 
stead law, 172; governor, 
172; encourages internal im- 
provements, 172-174 
Conway, Henry W., 168, 169 
Conway, James S., 121, 169; 

governor, 171, 194 
Conway family, the, 167 
Courts, territorial, 82, 99- 
102. 138; irregularities of, 
140, 141 
Crittenden, Robert, early life 
of, 80, 81; Secretary of 
Arkansas Territory, 81-83, 



121; as a lawyer, 85; duel 
fought by, 109; death of, 85, 
86 
Cross, Edward, 270 

Dardanelle Rock, 16 

Davis, Jefferson, 225 

Democrats, See Political par- 
ties 

De Soto, Hernando, early life 
of, 12; explorations of, 12. 
13; discovers the Missis- 
sippi, 14; treatment of In- 
dians by, 14, 15; search for 
gold by, 16; finds the won- 
derful fountain, 16, 17 
death and burial of, 18, 19 
fate of followers of, 19 
Spain not benefited by 
services of, 22 

De Tonti, Henri, early life of, 
29; as La Salle's engineer, 
30; faithfulness to La Salle, 
30, 31; heroic conduct of, 
31; builds Fort St. Louis, 
33; founds Arkansas Post, 
35; death of, 36 

Douglas, Stephen A., 224 

Duels, 105; Scott-Seldon, 106, 
107; Sevier-Newton, 108; 
Conway-Crittenden, 109, 110 

Dwight, village of, 157 

Eakin, John, 270 

Earthquake of 1811, the, 92 

Education in Arkansas, 144- 
152, 283, 284 

English settlements in Amer- 
ica, 21 



INDEX. 



291 



Fagan, James F., 241 
Faulkner, Sanford C, 275 
Flanagan, Governor, 253 
France, occupies land in 

America, 21, 22; policy of, 

38, 39 
Frontier life, 73-79, 92-94 
Fruit-growing, 279 
Fulton, William S., 134 

Garland, Augustus H., 268; 
early life of, 270; member of 
secession convention, 270; 
in Confederate Congress, 
271; as a lawyer, 271; gov- 
ernor, 272; in the United 
States Senate, 273; attor- 
ney-general, 273; death of, 
273; character of, 274 

Government, in Louisiana, 38, 
46, 47; changes in govern- 
ment of Louisiana, 41, 44; 
Arkansas organized as a 
territory, 80, 82, 83; courts 
in the Territory, 96, 99, 100; 
state government organized, 
132, 133; secession, 226; 
loyal government reorgan- 
ized in 1864, 253; carpet-bag 
government established in 
1868, 255-257; present gov- 
ernment established, 269 

Grant, General, 234, 267 

Gray, Colonel, 266 

Harris, John, 154 
Hindman, T. C, 239; in the 
defense of Arkansas, 240; at 



battle of Prairie Grove, 240; 
as a general, 241 

Holmes, General, 241 

Homestead law, 172 

Horse-stealing, 186 

Hunter, Andrew, comes to 
Arkansas, 158; as a preach- 
er, 159; refuses political 
honors, 160; character of, 
159 

Hunting in Arkansas, 75, 184 

Illinois Indians, 31 

Indians, habits and charac- 
teristics of, 55; houses and 
crops of, 56; pottery of, 56, 
57; mounds of, 57; treat- 
ment of Marquette and de 
Soto by, 14, 25, 26, 57, 
57; relations of, with the 
French and the English, 58; 
in the way of the white man, 
59; treaties of, with the 
United States, 60, 169; trade 
of, with French, 39, 52, 53; 
story of Saracen, 61; Qua- 
paws and Osages, 39, 55, 60; 
Illinois and Iroquois, 31; 
Seminoles, 195, 196; Chero- 
kees, 60 

Internal Improvements, lev- 
ees, 172; railroads, 173, 174 

Iroquois Indians, 31 

Jackson, Andrew, 122 
Jackson, Stonewall, 244 
Jefferson, Thomas, 42 
Johnson, Benjamin, 96; as 
judge, 96, 99; early life of. 



292 



INDEX. 



97, 98; circuit of, 99; char- 
acter of, 104 

Johnson, President, 254, 255 

Johnson, Robert Ward, early- 
life of, 220; as a party 
leader, 220, 221; opposed re- 
peal of Missouri Compro- 
mise, 226; in Confederate 
Congress, 226; after the 
War, 227 

Johnson Home, the, 102 

Jones, Dan W., 270 

Jones, James K., 270 

Jouett, Charles^ 82 

Ku Klux Klan, 260, 261 

La Salle, plans of, 29, 30; 
misfortunes of, 30, 31; trip 
of, down the Mississippi, 32, 
33; builds forts, 33; returns 
to France for supplies, 33; 
lands in Texas, 34; death 
of, 34 

Lawyers in Arkansas, 138, 
139, 215, 216 

Legislature, of 1813, 76, 77; 
first and second territorial, 
82, 84 

Letcher, Robert P., 82 

Lincoln, Abraham, elected 
president, 224; believed se- 
cession wrong, 225; estab- 
lished loyal state govern- 
ment in Arkansas, 254 

Little Rock, capital moved to, 
84; troops gathered at, 230; 
occupied by Federals, 242 



Livingston, Robert, 42-44 

Louis XIV., 33 

Louisiana Territory, La Salle 
takes possession of, 33; 
France governs, 38, 39; set- 
tlements in, 39; Spain ac- 
quires, 41; France re-ac- 
quires, 41; the United 
States purchases, 42-45; 
population of, 46 

Manufacturing in Arkansas, 
282, 283 

Marbois, 43 

Marquette, 23; trip of, down 
the Mississippi, 23, 24; ban- 
queted by Arkansas In- 
dians, 25, 26; returned to 
Canada, 27; death of, 27 

McCulloch, General, 238 

Mcintosh, James, 238 

McNair, Evander, 241 

Methodist Church, the, 147, 
148, 154, 158, 159 

Mexican War, the, 209 

Military Board, 229 

Miller, David, in a storm on 
the Mississippi, 69, 70; as 
a boatman, 70, 71 

Miller, James, 89; at Lundy's 
Lane, 90; governor, 81, 84, 
90, 91 

Minerals in Arkansas, 281 

Monroe, James, 42, 44 

Moore, James W., founds 
Presbyterian Church in Ar- 
kansas, 157; establishes Syl- 
vania Academy, 157 



INDEX. 



293 



Murphy, Isaac, 253, 254 

Napoleon, 41-44 

Negroes, 177-181, 221; after 
the War, 256, 257, 2G0 

New Madrid earthquake, 92 

Newton, T. C, 108 

Notrebe, Frederick, life of, in 
France, 50; at Arkansas 
Post, 51; duel of, with Alex- 
ander Walker, 51 

Oden, Robert C, 108 
Ortiz, Juan, 18 
Osages, 39, 55, 60 

Parish of St. Arkansas, 40 
Pea Ridge, Battle of, 237 
Pennywit, Captain, 71, 72 
Pike, Albert, 119, 121, 138, 
198; early life of, 199, 200; 
goes west, 200; as an editor, 
200; as a lawyer, 201; in the 
Civil War, 202; scholar and 
poet, 203 
Pioneers, 73-78 
Plantation, system, 177; slave 
labor on, 177, 178; hospi- 
tality on, 181; Christmas 
festivities on, 181 
Political parties, in territorial 
days, 105, 108; Whigs, 108, 
142, 207, 217, 262; Demo- 
crats, 108, 142, 208, 217, 224, 
264-269; Republicans, 223, 
261-266, 269 
Pope, John, 61, 121; early life 
of, 121, 122; in the United 
States Senate, 122; govern- 



or, 123; built the state capi- 

tol, 123-126; in Congress, 

126; character of, 127 
Population, in 1800, 40; in 

1819, 46, 103; in 1836, 133; 

in 1849, 103 
Post-office, first, in Arkansas 

92, 133 
Prairie Grove, battle of, 240 
Presbyterian Church, the, 147, 

157 
Price, Sterling, 237, 242 
Pyeatt, Major, 93 

Quapaws, 39, 55, 60, 83 

Railroad building, 173, 174 

Reconstruction, Lincoln's plan 
for, 254; President John- 
son's work in, 254, 255; the 
President and Congress 
quarrel over, 255; Congres- 
sional plan for, 255-257; 
overthrow of this plan, 260- 
265, 268, 269 

Rector, Elias, 192; personal 
characteristics of, 192, 193; 
comes to Arkansas, 194; 
tact of, in dealing with the 
Seminole Indians, 195, 196; 
the "fine Arkansas Gentle- 
man," 192, 196 

Rector, Henry M., 194 

Regulators, 184; in the 
Fourche Valley, 186, 187; 
the Cane Hill affair, 189, 
190 

Republicans, See Political par- 
ties 



294 



INDEX. 



Roads in Arkansas, 131 
Rorer and the ox-yoke, 77 
Rose U. M., 268 
Royston, Grandison D., 138 

Saracen, returns to Arkansas, 
Gl; rescues twc children, 62 

Schools, public, in the early 
days, 144, 145; support of, 
149; since the War, 147-151; 
private schools, 144; acad- 
emies, 146; colleges, 147-149 

Scott, Andrew. 82 

Secession, 224, 225 

Seldon, Joseph, 106, 107 

Seminoles, 195, 196 

Sevier, Ambrose H., 72, 128; 
early life of, 130; duel of, 
108-110; in Congress, 131; 
efforts of, to make Arkansas 
a state, 132, 133; minister 
to Mexico, 135 

Sevier, John, 129 

Slaves, treatment of, 177-180; 
profitable in the South, 221; 
quarrel over, 222; freed, 
251 

Spain, colonies of, 21, 22 

Steamboats, 65, 66, 72, 173, 174 

Steele, General, 242 

Sunk lands, 92 

Surveys, in Arkansas, 170 

Territory, government of, or- 
ganized, 80, 83; first officials 



of, 81, 82; of the first and 
second class, 82; courts in, 
96, 99-102; rights of, 132; 
boundary of, 168, 169, 170 

Timber, 280 

Treaties with Indians, 60, 169 

Turner, Jesse, 87, 198 

University of Arkansas, 147 

Walker, Alexander, 51, 52; 
first legislator, 76, 77; farm- 
er, 77; ox-yoke affair of, 77 

Walker, David, early life' of, 
139; at Fayetteville, 140; 
political career of, 142 

Washburn, Cephas, 157 

Whigs, See Political parties 

Wilson, Alf, 140 

Wolves in Arkansas, 185 

Woodruff, William E., Junior, 
242 

Woodruff, William E., Senior, 
early life of, 113, 114; comes 
west, 115; advent of, at Ar- 
kansas Post, 113, 115; estab- 
lishes the Arkansas Ga- 
zette, 115, 116 

Yell, Archibald, early life of, 
205; as judge, 205; as gov- 
ernor, 207; a friend of edu- 
cation, 149; in Congress, 
207; in Mexican War, 210; 
killed at Buena Vista, 211 



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